A Tale of Two Salamon and One Eighty-Day Bet
by Zero Slash One
Summary: What happens when two enemies meet on the battlefield, reminisce, and come to an interesting agreement? Angewomon/LadyDevimon, Takuya/Zoe, Takato/Henry, Davis/Kari.
1. Day 01 of 80

**Aw crap, another one? I can barely keep the Crys/Emerald and Rina/Davis stories going, now this? Still, might help with getting a feel for romance-stories...**

**This is basically my attempt at delving into the characters of Angewomon and LadyDevimon. In Digimon Adventure, we saw the two having a catfight, and I suddenly wondered, what if there was more to it? What if the two had some history together, before/after the events of the series? **

**Yes, of course it's AU!**

* * *

In an arid wasteland, deep within the Digital World of a world where the Digidestined co-existed with the Digimon Tamers and the Legendary Warriors, two women stood, facing each-other, several meters between them, one of them with a confident smirk gracing her lips, and the other with a calm, level, indecipherable expression. Both stood calm and immobile, yet prepared for combat to the death at a moment's notice.

The smirking woman had billowing white hair and wore an ebony-black figure-hugging suit that accentuated every curve of her supple, belt-covered waist, slender-yet-toned thighs, and full chest. On her right breast were a white skull marking. The parts of her suit near her neck and left shoulder moved on their own, twisting the soft fabric into a small one-armed devil. Her face was covered in a mask made of the fabric, exposing only her malicious crimson eyes, and the chalk-like skin of her mouth. On her right thigh was another pair of crimson eyes and a mouth, though this face was not as easily mistaken for human as her natural face was. Wrapped around her right arm and right ankle were a steel chain, which extended to the devil floating beside her. On her back was a pair of ash-gray, leather-like wings, containing several small holes.

The woman facing her supposed that she was beautiful in a way, but the demonic power tainting her marred her beauty far too much to anyone to ever want her.

If the smirking woman could be said to represent the demonic, the unexpressive woman could be said to represent the divine.

The inscrutable woman wore a soft white suit, contrasting with the other woman's attire. The fabric covered her left, covering only minute portions of her lower body, while leaving everything above her modest chest exposed, save the breasts themselves which were covered in golden wing-like shells. Her soft-golden hair billowed behind her, her eyes and the surrounding skin covered in a metallic helmet, leaving her mouth, ears, and the back of her head uncovered. On her right were a pair of black leather belts. In her right hand, she held a bow made of white-golden light. On her back were several pairs of large, snow-white wings. Around her neck and falling down her body were a purple sash, engraved with DigiCode markings, which the smirking figured translated into something trivial, emotional and pompous.

The smirking woman mused that she might make for an considerably-more-than-decent roll in the hay, as humans would put it.

"So, we meet again," LadyDevimon smirked, while her shoulder demon skittered around, eager to fight.

"Indeed," Angewomon coolly replied.

"How long has it been, two years?" LadyDevimon cordially inquired.

"Just so, fallen one," Angewomon flatly replied. "How many Digimon did you slaughter?"

"About a few hundred," LadyDevimon casually replied, not particularly concerned with a minor detail like that.. Angewomon gave her a disturbed look as best she could.

"You disgust me," She whispered, shocked to the smirking LadyDevimon. "This is... This is unforgivable!"

"Oh? Shall I take it that you mean to end my life?" LadyDevimon asked, her tone suddenly indecipherable. Angewomon cursed inwardly as the demoness slowly strided towards her. Their long history together before being recruited by the Three Great Angels and Seven Great Demon Lords meant that the angel couldn't do so easily, while the other no longer held any such restraints.

"Do you mean to plunge your Heaven's Charm into my heart?" She asked, gently guiding the angel's hand into the valley between her breasts, placing it on her left breast. LadyDevimon mused that there was something exquisite and amusing about watching the soft-red angel give a weak nod in response.

"Or do you mean to bury your Heaven's Charm into the depths of my stomach?" She smirked widely, guiding Angewomon's hand to what she uncomfortably noted to be the spot below her belt.

"I-I have to," Angewomon stuttered nervously, backing away from the still-smirking demoness. "It is my duty to wipe the Digital World clean of Digimon like you!"

LadyDevimon gave her a mocking look. "Then why haven't you done so already? I have already exposed myself to you, after all. It is only for you to take the shot."

Angewomon eyed the demoness warily. Why would she leave herself so undefended? Did she not realize that the angel intended to kill her? Suddenly, her expression seemed to soften, her blood-red eyes gaining a mildly wistful glint, surprising Angewomon greatly.

"Does it have to be like this?" The angel softly asked. The demoness gave an quizzical look in response, though Angewomon suspected that she understood her meaning perfectly. Regardless, she decided to take the bait, and clarify. "How long has it been since those days? When we played together in flowery meadows and breezy lakesides as a pair of innocent Salamon? When we sparred as a Gatomon and a BlackGatomon, on craggy cliffs and in arid wastelands like this one?"

"Too long," The demoness softly replied, her mind drifting back to that day when the Three Great Angels came for the angel before her, and that same day when Lilithmon took her into the Dark Area. "That's just the way things are..."

"They don't have to be!" Angewomon exclaimed. "Please! Join me! We can fight for justice together once more!"

Surprisingly, LadyDevimon actually seemed to consider it.

It wasn't as though the prospect of fighting alongside the angel was unwelcome to her; quite the opposite, actually. "I'm sorry, but no. Perhaps... You could come with me?" She suggested tentatively.

Angewomon shook her head. "I could never do that. I could never compromise my beliefs for the sake of the one I love. The one who used to love me in return."

The demoness gave an apologetic look. "What do you mean, 'used to love you'?"

"Don't," She bit back, skeptically, trying not to be fooled by this insolent creature's use of her former lover's voice. "Don't pretend that you're BlackGatomon. Don't pretend that you're capable of feeling love, and not just lust."

LadyDevimon's smirk faded instantly, replaced with an appraising look, as though she was trying to figure out how much the angel might be worth, or how well she might taste if the demoness were to devour her. "If I'm truly not your lover, then why haven't you slain me yet?"

Angewomon hesitated, taken aback by the question. What she was asking was true. There was nothing left of the quiet and reserved BlackGatomon, who spoke so formally, within the demoness. So why couldn't she just bring herself to delete this one, as she had deleted countless other LadyDevimon? It was her sworn duty, after all...

"I do not know," She softly admitted, and turned to leave. "I will leave your deletion to someone else... I cannot do it myself..." She whispered, as she flew off,

"WAIT!" She froze when she heard the mildly-frantic voice cry out to her. Slowly, she returned to the ground. What the demoness wanted, she didn't know. "You said that you wanted things to be as they once were, correct?" LadyDevimon asked. Angewomon tentatively nodded, unsure of what she was getting at, preparing for a sneak attack. "Then, allow me to propose a suggestion, regarding that; on a campaign three years ago to a distant world, I heard a tale of two young humans on an eighty-day bet."

"Eighty-day bet?" Angewomon repeated dubiously. She was aware of what a bet was, but how was the eighty days relevant?

"Indeed," LadyDevimon responded dryly. "They set out on a journey to pursue their respective goals. The girl of the pair pursued martial strength, while the boy of the pair pursued fame and accomplishment. Whoever achieved their goal within those eighty days would win the bet, and the loser would be more supportive of the winner's goal. Ultimately, it resulted in a draw between the two."

Angewomon supposed that the tale was fascinating, even if there were some parts that were unclear, such as how there were any ends to those pursuits, though she didn't understand how exactly it related to their situation. Any questions she might have could well wait for their next encounter.

"That's what I'm suggesting now; a similar eighty-day bet." LadyDevimon said. "We'll spend the next eighty days in a nearby mansion, away from the pointless feud of the Three Great Angels and the Seven Great Demon Lords, and there, I'll prove to you, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I'm still the same BlackGatomon who fell in love with you. If I do, you will join me in the Dark Area. If I do not,_ I_ will join _you_. Do you accept my challenge?"

Angewomon froze, her eyes wide with shock, staring in speechless incredulity at what the other was suggesting. She couldn't seriously expect that the angel would simply abandon her responsibilities for over two months?! It was absurd! Even before that, to spend that much time in the company of that lustful, greedy, prideful demon... Even this short time spent with her was galling to the angel.

LadyDevimon eyed her curiously, wondering what her answer would be.

"I... I cannot," Angewomon reluctantly replied, after heavy consideration. "I cannot forsake my responsibilities-"

"Nor would you," LadyDevimon cut in. "After all, the missions and assignments you angel Digimon are given can last up to months, even years. And should they inquire about your absence, you could simply tell them that you've spent eighty days with the intent of redeeming a soul, while being pursued by a LadyDevimon; wouldn't be wrong."

Angewomon paused to consider her logic. Certainly, the phrasing of that explanation made it entirely truthful, but could she truly bring herself to tell a half-truth to Lady Ophanimon? Then, she realized what the demoness was trying to do; lure her away from the side of goodness, light and justice, with her shrewd words and empty promises.

"I know what you're trying to do," She angrily told LadyDevimon, who blinked in confusion, not understanding what she was referring to. "You're trying to manipulate me into becoming like you."

To her surprise, LadyDevimon smiled in amusement, shaking her head. So that's what she thought was going on, the white-haired demon mused. "Then by all means, feel free to 'manipulate' me right back; accept my challenge; make _me _like_ you_!"

"Give me one good reason why I should," Angewomon shot back.

"I'll do better, and give you several," LadyDevimon gave an unnerving smirk. "1; were you to accept my challenge, it would guarantee our mutual survivals for longer than we otherwise would in this futile feud, and I do believe you to have a vested interest in that. 2; Ophanimon is the embodiment of divine love; surely she would at the least... acknowledge, perhaps, my desire to prove my love for you? 3; while I am there with you, I am not elsewhere to cause destruction and suffering. 4; ... Because for all my faults, all the horrors I've uncaringly caused, and all the lives I've snuffed out, I genuinely do love you, and want to be with you..." She softly finished.

_"Damn her!"_, Angewomon thought. She always knew which buttons to press. She had always known which buttons to press. "I accept your challenge."

"As you wish," LadyDevimon's smirk returned as she extended her clawed hand outwards, shooting a blast of what Angewomon almost believed to be Fractal Code, yet that was impossible as LadyDevimon couldn't possibly provide enough to generate an entire mansion.

"H-h-how?!" Angewomon exclaimed in shock, surveying the newly minted building. It was two stories tall, largely colored black and navy-blue, with a wide assortment of windows. The outside of the mansion was a front porch, stretching all the way from the front door before them to the other side of the building. The extended roof bringing shade to the front porch was supported by several thin wooden bars. Above the entrance, on the first floor, were glass doors leading to a small balcony.

"Come along now," She gestured mockingly to the disbelieving angel, who silently shrugged off her surprise, and followed the demoness through the front doors.

To her surprise, Angewomon paused. "What's wrong?" LadyDevimon asked, concerned.

"If I am to do anything other than leave immediately..." Angewomon began nervously. "Give me your word, swear by anything that means something to you that you will not harm anyone for the duration of this 'bet'."

LadyDevimon gave her a soft look. "I swear by the Demon Lords that I will not harm another Digimon while this wager is on-going."

"Furthermore," Angewomon paused, trembling in anxiety. "... I want your word that any sexual intercourse you may or may not desire between us will be entirely consensual."

LadyDevimon gave the angel a disbelieving, disturbed look. "I am not some filthy rapist," She angrily spat. "Do you actually believe I would do such a thing? Does our time together mean that little to you?"

"Of course not," She whispered. "I just... I just don't know you anymore."

"Angewomon, I... I am still BlackGatomon, and I still love you." LadyDevimon responded. "What more do you need to know?"

The angel didn't have an answer, so she followed the demon into the mansion.

...

...

...

A few hours later, Angewomon had familiarized herself entirely with the layout of the mansion, not that there was particularly much to see, she mused, her hands softly placed on the railings of the balcony, absently looking over the desert, her mind deep in thought.

The layout of the ground floor was surprisingly simple; the entrance room with the spiraling staircase built into the back wall, leading to the first and second floors, and a pair of strange rooms, one on the right side of the entrance, containing with book-shelves, leading to the front porch, and one on the left side, entirely empty, and seeming isolated from the rest of the house. She thought of them as 'strange' because they were entirely rectangular; two-and-a-half meters from floor to ceiling, and two-and-a-half meters between the walls as well. Even more oddly, apart from the few rooms she had seen, the floor seemed entirely solid material.

The first floor was more interesting, as while the ground floor rooms had been located in the front part of the mansion, the bedrooms were in the back parts of the mansion, located atop the portions that seemed to be entirely solid.

Her musings on interior designs were interrupted by LadyDevimon joining her.

"Saial, I don't really understand what the problem here is," She softly said, hanging her head. Angewomon tensed slightly, feeling a twinge of what she decided to be nostalgia at the mention of her personal name. "Back when we were a Gatomon and a BlackGatomon, you never expressed any reservations about being romantically involved with me."

"It is quite simple, Raya," She said coolly, looking down at the curious demon. "There is good. There is evil. The two cannot co-exist." She explained patiently, as though lecturing a child.

"Good and evil? Do you really believe that?" LadyDevimon laughed. Angewomon glared in annoyance at the demoness; those were the teachings of Lady Ophanimon, Lord Seraphimon and Master Cherubimon themselves, and she dared to question them? It was already taking every bit of willpower the angel had, not to follow orders and wipe this evil from the Digital World. "It really would be more accurate to say that we work the sides of light and darkness."

"There is no difference," Angewomon dismissed. "Darkness and evil are the same, just as light and good are the same."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," LadyDevimon smirked. Angewomon was slowly starting to abhor her perpetual smirk; did the demoness not have any other expressions but a smug smirk? "Darkness can be soothing, just as light can be blinding. Care to remember the myth of the Legendary Warrior of Darkness? That Digimon decidedly wasn't evil. And Lucemon uses the same powers of light that your masters do."

"Is that truly your best arguments?" Angewomon shot back, shaking her head in mild amusement. LadyDevimon knew that persuading the other to her point of view wouldn't be an instantaneous process, so for the moment, she would settle for amusing the angel. "A loose bit of mythology, and invoking the name of your master to support moral relativism?"

"Call it whatever you wish," LadyDevimon shrugged with a smirk. "The facts remain as I have stated them; light is not necessarily aligned with good, just as darkness is not necessarily aligned with evil. For instance, with the right incentive, I might well be persuaded to align myself with your notions of goodness and justice." She winked at the angel.

Angewomon wasn't the least bit fooled by her false philosophy, nor did she miss the incredibly unsubtle hint the demoness gave her.

Judging by her lewd smirk, she hadn't particularly intended to make it subtle either.

"Of course you might," She drawled. "And what, pray tell, might that 'incentive' be? That I give myself to you, mind, body and soul, to do with as you wish?"

"_Very_ tempting offer," The other chuckled, before her grin faded, and her tone became laced with... hurt? It seemed impossible to the angel. "But no. For starters, would you please stop treating me as though my only concerns in the world are slaughter, and obeying the arbitrary dictates of my own pride, lust, wrath, envy, gluttony, sloth and greed?"

Saial blinked at her sudden change of tone. "I would if you would act otherwise," She spoke icily. "Earlier, you freely admitted to have slaughtered dozens of innocent Digimon. Indeed, you stood there amid the destruction and even revelled in it!"

"Yes, because those are the orders that the Demon Lords give me, just as the Great Angels give you missions and assignments to carry out," LadyDevimon responded softly, not appeasing the angel in the slightest. "You take orders from your masters, and I take orders from mine. We're not really that different when you think about it."

"We are," She bit back, indignantly, offended at the implication of sharing any commonalities with LadyDevimon. "You are a creature of evil, and I a servant of the divine."

"True," Raya conceded, wandering back inside. The shoulder demon eyed it's master displeased, as she reached her hand to the back of her head, pulling her hood off, fully revealing that compassionate gaze that the angel had missed dearly.

Saial watched with abject shock and vested interest as the demoness continued to disrobe, exposing her full breasts and soft-blue nipples, perking visibly in the cold evening air of the desert. Had LadyDevimon forgotten she was there? Or was she simply showing off?"

"What are you doing?!" The angel asked, perplexed.

"I'm going to bed," The now-fully nude demoness answered simply, chaining up her garments so that the demon didn't cause trouble, placing them at her bedside, before crawling under the silky sheets. "Join me if you wish."

Angewomon didn't see fit to dignify her comment with a response, so she simply disrobed as Raya had, and crawled into another bed.

She did not get any sleep that night, an abundance of unanswered questions and concerns about the situations and LadyDevimon's soft snoring keeping Saial awake.

* * *

**Eighty days... This is gonna be a loooong story...**

**A few notes about the story so far.**

**********1: LadyDevimon's power to make a mansion out of thin air may seem like an AssPull-power, but it isn't; in Adventure, Devimon created a mansion of his own, which he had seemingly absolute control over. Assuming that LadyDevimon, whose power is similar in nature, only stronger, can do the same isn't a stretch.**

**2: The house that LadyDevimon created is outwardly based off the 1890 Edwards Mansion in Redlands, California.**

**3: Their use of personal/nick names (LadyDevimon: Raya/Angewomon: Saial) is a concept predating Adventure that didn't make it into the animes; at least, that's how it is if memory serves; it's used in some mangas, and by Rina Shinomiya. If the thought vexes you, feel free to discontinue reading.**

**It's not going to be a conclusive thing; at any time, they could be referred to by LadyDevimon/Angewomon, Raya/Saial or by a descriptive term ****interchangeably.**

**4: The two stripping casually; while arguing that it's demeaning to women would admittedly be a valid complaint to make, please consider that a nudity-taboo is largely a human invention, created because of societal convention to think that way. **

**With the absence of that, would non-human life-forms like Digimon share that taboo?**


	2. Day 02 of 80

**Let's see how this'll turn out. **

**Although enormous physical strength _is_ my trademark, this time I'll have to rely on my wits and extensive vocabulary. ****Anyone care to make the incredibly obvious crack at my expense?**

**...**

**Here, for your reading pleasure, references to literally every single noteworthy piece of trivia in the Digimon franchise and anime meta-series. **

**ENJOY!**

**...**

**Review responses:**

Guest**: **

**Firstly, **** the idea that the demonic can be _very_ persuasive is not new; care to remember Paradise Lost?**

**Secondly, ****one thing is Raya being highly Affably-Evil (or in non-trope terms, a sweet-tempered, kind-hearted, genuinely loving and caring Digimon in spite of routinely committing mass-murder as part of the job), with a heaping pile of valid points, but try not to forget what she does.**

**Thirdly, as for Saial's Black-and-White morality, well, is that world-view really wrong? After all, for her, it's a fact: Good and Evil, Great Angels and Demon Lords, Allies and Enemies. It's a simplistic view, but not incorrect, all things considered.**

* * *

_The Dark Area_

"Now _this _is amusing," A statuesque woman observed with a wide smirk, peering into a shadowy orb depicting the bedroom. She stood at about six foot in height, and looked to be in her early twenties. Her figure was slender yet very well-developed. She wore a black and lavender dress, exposing a generous amount of cleavage.

Around her, her fellow Demon Lords stood, in a seven-pronged circle. To her right, the toga-clad Lucemon floated, watching with mild interest, a few of his ten wings shaking to signal his fascination with the sight.

To her left stood Beelzemon, clad in black leather, his arms folded and his trusty Berenjena holstered at his sides, his red eyes holding nothing but disinterest.

On the ground to Beelzemon's left was a large orange scaly maw filled with sharp teeth, dwarfing the other six in size. A distance behind the maw was a pair of glowing crimson eyes, and a pair of restless whip-like tails.

To Lucemon's left rested a koala bear-like creature, with greyish-brown fur and a contented smile. Likewise, this one dwarfed the other ones in size. Lucemon would never understand how so conventionally adorable was in their midst. Certainly, his Rage Mode was powerful, but that one only awoke once every millennium. Regardless, he wasn't about to argue the point with his allies once more.

To Belphemon's and Leviamon's sides stood Daemon and Barbamon, eyeing the shadow-orb with abject fury and vested interest respectively.

"One of our soldiers, indulging her lust for an _angel_?" Daemon spoke curtly.

"Indeed," Lilithmon responded, her smirk widening. Beelzemon smirked, amused; was his fellows really that blind to the possibility that more than their respective sins was in play here?

"I suggest that we move to correct this at once," Daemon growled.

"Petition denied," Lilithmon and Lucemon spoke in unison, and gave the other a curious look. Daemon's eyes widened in shock. Grumbling in frustration he decided not to argue the point, as they _had_ retrieved him from the depths of the Dark Ocean.

Beelzemon blinked. Lilithmon allowing this to proceed unhindered, he could understand, but why was Lucemon allowing it?

"I agree fully with Daemon," Leviamon hissed.

"And I say we let LadyDevimon have her fun," Beelzemon smirked. "Three on two, one undecided, and one sleeping for five-hundred-and-seventy years. Care to concede the argument?"

Barbamon paused to comtemplate his options. While the temporary loss of a soldier in their armies was regrettable, the Great Angels lost as much as they did, and if everything went well, their army would be minutely increased after a scant eighty days, making the risks mostly inconsequential.

"I side with Lady Lilithmon, Lord Beelzemon and Lord Lucemon on this matter," Barbamon declared, ignoring both Daemon's furious look, Lucemon's smug sneer and Lilithmon's triumphant smirk. "However, if the Great Angels intervene personally, so will we."

"Agreed," The other six intoned.

_..._

_The Rose Morning Star library_

"This is unacceptable!" Cherubimon roared, watching with disgust the scene at the mansion. Not only had Angewomon knowingly neglected her responsibilities to slay this evil, but she was even sleeping in the same room as LadyDevimon was?!

Seraphimon could only agree with his companion's statement. Ophanimon, however, bit her lip; The demoness had done all this, out of what she claimed to be love. Was it actually possible that she was sincere in her desire? That Angewomon was still alive and unharmed _would _point towards it, but it could simply be a ruse on her part.

"You are correct, Cherubimon. What do you suggest?" Seraphimon asked to him and Ophanimon.

"The answer is readily apparent," The rabbit-angel shot back. "We send a few MagnaAngemon to slay this LadyDevimon."

"With all due respect, Cherubimon, I do not believe that to be the best cause of action." Ophanimon slowly responded. Both Cherubimon and Seraphimon gave her incredulous looks. "Were we to do so, I fear that we may unwittingly do as the demoness wishes us to. At the moment, the situation is relatively harmless for Angewomon; intervening may well convince her that we do not trust her judgment, and lead her to join LadyDevimon in the Dark Area."

Seraphimon acknowledged the wisdom in Ophanimon's suggestion. Cherubimon paused to consider her response, deciding her to be right.

"But we cannot just do nothing about this!" Cherubimon exclaimed in frustration.

"I am truly sorry, but I do not believe that we have much of a choice..." Ophanimon whispered softly.

...

_Back at the mansion_

Raya sat in her bed, smiling contentedly, gazing softly at the soundly asleep angel. Her soft hair was messy, almost disheleved, there was a slight trickle of drool leaking from her mouth, and she was without the shadow of a doubt the most beautiful thing the demoness had ever had the pleasure to behold.

Slowly, the angel stirred, her eyes opening. Her eyes widened in shock, seeing the nude demoness sitting in a nearby bed. "WHAT TRICKERY IS THIS!?" Saial declared in shock and disgust.

The angel blinked when in lieu of responding properly, LadyDevimon offhandedly counted to five. Suddenly, the memories of the day before replayed in the angel's mind. "What?" She asked to the demoness who had been staring at her since she woke, her angular red eyes holding nothing but affection, much to Saial's surprise.

"Do you know how beautiful you look right now?" Raya whispered to the angel, who blushed slightly at the compliment.

"I-I was not aware of that detail," Angewomon stuttered, unable to think of any other reply. LadyDevimon was supposed to be evil, the Great Angels had taught her such, so how could LadyDevimon compliment her like that, let alone address her with cordiality and warmth?

Deciding it to be another of the demoness' tricks to guide her into sin and decadence, the angel decided to change the subject.

"What can I expect today?" Saial drawled. "Another lecture about how my moral teachings are wrong, and that there are no such things as good and evil?"

"Perhaps, if the mood striked me," Raya smirked back. "But really, it's all a matter of perspective. You view it as good and evil, while I view it as light and darkness."

"And I suppose that you also intend to tell me that my notions of order and chaos are flawed as well?" Saial snorted.

"Perhaps..." The demoness mused. The angel raised an eye-brow at this; was she going to slight this belief as well?! "Let us assume for the sake of argument that your masters managed to defeat the Demon Lords, and spread what they consider order through-out the Digital Worlds. When everyone lives in peace and tranquility, who would fight on behalf on the weak? Who _could_? Like it or not, the Demon Lords _do _serve a purpose, by increasing the martial capabilities of Digimon in the various worlds."

"That logic is _obscene!_" Saial whispered, shaken by the deeply irrational, deeply repulsive, reasoning. She actually believed that the Demon Lords had any sort of justifications for their heinous actions?

"Perhaps," Raya shrugged, seeming to ignore her rebuttal. "Or perhaps, it's more accurate that there's some unintended and mildly beneficial side-effects from the Demon Lords' perpetual campaigns to subjugate the Digital Worlds."

"Perhaps," Saial wearily sighed, seeing no reason to argue the point. "Furthermore, how can you act like this?!"

The demoness cocked her head in response to her question. "Act like what?"

"Act like such a sweet and cordial Digimon when you freely admit to casually snuffing countless innocent lives?"

Raya sighed inwardly. There really hadn't been a way to avoid that allegation, she supposed. "Because that are the tasks I am given. It's nothing personal."

"Nothing personal?" Angewomon echoed dubiously, disgusted with the demoness. She had the nerve to say that it was... Nothing personal?! "Nothing personal!? DO YOU SERIOUSLY BELIEVE THAT?! YOU HAVE SLAIN THOUSANDS, AT THE LEAST!? SO NO, IT IS NOT 'NOTHING PERSONAL'! IT IS ABSOLUTELY PERSONAL, YOU MORALLY-REPUGNANT WRETCH!" She screamed indignantly, getting out of the bed. In her fury, she forgot her state of undress, and her slender figure and modest-yet-shapely chest was fully revealed to the demoness.

"I was right..." Raya whispered in awe of the sight.

"What?" Saial snapped. Her rage instantly faded, replaced by shock, when LadyDevimon, to her bewilderment, kissed her.

Raya quickly broke the kiss. "You really are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen..."

"What is wrong with you!?" Saial disgustedly asked. Did she actually believe that there could ever be anything between them again, when she hadn't even bothered to refute the accusation that she had killed thousands of innocent Digimon? "You are a callous, sociopathic murderess, yet you claim to love me?!"

"I really don't see what the problem there is," The other replied, sounding bored. "After all, any slain Digimon would simply revert to an egg, and be reincarnated. Actually killing a Digimon, while possible even in the world of the Digidestined, would take a great deal more power than most Ultimate-levels can manage."

Angewomon paused. While reprehensible, her reasoning was factually correct. "That does _not_ justify mass-murder!"

"Perhaps not," Raya conceded. "Still, what does that make of you, who have slain several Devimon and LadyDevimon alike? Are your killings justified?"

"For all the horrible crimes you've committed, yes!" Saial responded tersely, trying her best to ignore her (_perhaps somewhat valid_) rebuttal. "I can never forgive what you have done."

Hearing this, LadyDevimon's expression softened, much to Saial's surprise. "Sweetie, I'm not asking you to-"

The demoness was abrubtly cut off. "Stop it now, LadyDevimon!" Saial demanded. "Stop addressing me as though I am your lover! We are not involved!"

LadyDevimon's expression remained soft, only changing to display visible pain. "Saial, I'm sorry, I... Look, if you can tell me, with absolute certainty, that you don't love me, then..." She paused, unable to bring herself to complete her sentence.

Angewomon froze once more. She... Had actually apologized? Saial felt a stronge twinge of regret, as the demoness actually seemed hurt by her statement. "... I loved who you used to be. Perhaps, I even still love _you_. But it is not something I can embrace."

"Why not?" Raya softly asked. The angel stared at her incredulously.

"Because I cannot in good conscience join you in the Dark Area, nor can I be as selfish as to ask you to join me, simply because I may or may not desire you," Saial answered.

"Then, why choose either option?" Raya asked, smirking.

Saial blinked in confusion at this. A few seconds later, her eyes widened while Raya smiled; was she suggesting what the angel suspected?! "Are you really suggesting that we become romantically involved once more, while remaining on different sides of this feud?!"

"Would that really be such a bad thing?" The demoness smiled softly.

Angewomon paused. While the prospect was tempting, would it really be worth it? What would happen if they were to meet on the battle-field once more? She had failed to carry out her solemn vow back then, and this would _not_ fortify her conviction in that regard.

"I'll consider it..." The angel hesitantly said.

Saial was caught off-guard when Raya wrapped her arms firmly around her. "Thank you so much..." The demoness whispered contentedly, her eyes closed. "Take as much as time as you need; we've still got seventy-eight days to spend before this bet is over, after all..."

"Thank you," Saial responded, sweatdropping. Somehow, the bet had entirely slipped her mind...

LadyDevimon felt the other tremble almost imperceptibly with something she decided to akin to mild discomfort, and slowly pulled her arms away, taking a few steps backwards, and smiled brightly. "I'm going back to sleep. See you tomorrow." She told her, and walked back to her bed, crawling underneath.

The angel blinked. What had she just said? Then, she did something she never believed she would in the demoness' company, and gave a mild chuckle. She hadn't meant to, but it was barely noon.

...

...

...

About an hour after the debates in the bedroom, Saial was downstairs, occupied examining the books in the left miniature library. She wasn't sure what to make of the majority of them, as they detailed the Digidestined, Tamers, Legendary Warriors, DATS Agents, and Generals living countless possible lives.

Most of the time, those tales contradicted one another, such as Kari Kamiya and Gatomon Bio-Merging together into Ophanimon in some, and in others, Hikari Yagami and Tailmon Matrix Digivolved into Magnadramon, as well as Gatomon reaching those forms by standard Digivolution in yet others.

Just what were all these books, Saial wondered. Were they mere fiction, thought up and written by someone employed by the Demon Lords, or were they actual factual tales of the Digidestined and Tamers, employed to keep track of what they were capable of? More importantly, why had they appeared in this building that LadyDevimon had conjured? Were they a standard fixture? She doubted that all this were things the demoness concretely knew, as there was simply too staggeringly much, but if they were not a fixture, how could they exist without Raya pouring her own knowledge into them?

Deciding that to be questions she might never get answered, and finished with reading a book holding the unusual title of 'Kari Kamiya/Hikari Yagami: Earth-eight, Timelines one-through-fifty', she placed it back on the third shelf of the sixth bookcase, and went over to the second bookcase, taking another book, this one titled, 'Takato Matsuki/Takato Matsuda: Earth-forty-six, Timelines three-hundred-through-three-hundred-and-fifty'.

It was certainly a fascinating read, albeit in occasionally morbid ways, Saial mused, flipping through the book, absently scanning it's pages, reading of timelines where Takato Matsuda had fully accepted the great evil beast Megidramon, of timelines where it had been Guilmon rather than Leomon to die, of timelines where Takato Matsuki's partner had been Impmon, of timelines where he had never become a Tamer, of timelines where he'd met the Digidestined, and of timelines where the D-Reaper had won, as well as of timelines where the D-Reaper had never invaded the human world.

Suddenly, something caught her attention, namely a small, red leather-bound book, standing at the other end of that shelf. Walking over to it, she reached for it, briefly scanning the title on the front.

'_The Singular Timeline of Earth-Zero: from Adventure to Revelation_'.

"_Odd..._" She briefly thought. Most of the other books had only been detailing notable events in the various possible lives of a single Digidestined or Tamer, yet judging by the title of this one, it almost seemed like a book documenting every event in that single universe, but how could a single book hold all that?

Opening the book, she didn't see anything particularly unusual about it. The table of contents were largely the same as the others. Whatever had happened in the 'Earth-Zero' dimension, it wasn't noteworthy enough to merit a mention.

The story of this reality's Digidestined began January 1 in the year 2000. Their struggles and adventures lasted for twenty-five years if the book was accurate, though Saial blinked, alarmed when she read the name of the twenty-fifth chapter.

The death of Earth-Zero.

She re-read the name a few times, trying to wrap her mind around the concept. The Digidestined of that world... Had failed to save their universe? It seemed impossible to imagine, considering the legendary accomplishments of the Digidestined of other worlds and timelines. Strangely, only a single page, 267, was dedicated to detail the death of that universe.

Reading the other page, she was shocked to learn exactly which set of Digidestined had failed the task, and seemingly with ease at that.

To her astonishment, it was several sets of them.

Tai Yagami, Yamato Ishida, Sora Takenouchi, Mimi Tachikawa, Izzy Izumi, Jyou Kido, TK Takaishi, Hikari Yagami, Davis Motomiya, Ken Ichijouji, Cody Hida and Yolei Miyako Inoue of Earth-eight...

Takato Matsuda, Rika Nonaka, Henry Wong, Suzie Wong, Ryo Akiyama, Hirokazu Shioda, Kenta Kitagawa, Ai Terada, Mako Terada, and Jeri Katou of Earth-forty-six...

Takuya Kanbara, Kouji Minamoto, Zoe Orimoto, Tommy Himi, JP Shibayama and Kouichi Kimura of Earth-twenty...

Marcus Damon, Thomas H. Norstein, Yoshino Fujieda, Keenan Crier, Relena H. Norstein, and Kristy Damon of Earth-fifty...

Taiki Kudo, Akari Hinomoto, Zenjirou Tsurugi, Kiriha Aonume, Nene Amano, Tagiru Akashi, Ryouma Mogami, Airu Suzaki, and Ren Tobari of Earth-two-thousand-and-twenty...

All these brave souls, struggling for survival... had been overpowered?

Her shock only grew when she turned around to page 268, reading the chapter detailing Tai and his Digimon partner.

Like most other worlds and times, his partner was Agumon, but there were significant differences in this reality, namely that there were several other Jogress Digivolutions accessible with the other ten Digidestined's partners, beyond Omnimon, as well as VictoryGreymon as a Bio-Merge with Tai.

Turning her eyes to page 269, she noted Gabumon having the same number of Jogresses as Agumon, and Bio-Merging into ZeedGarurumon.

The next several pages offered little new information.

270: Sora's Biyomon had Hououmon listed as her Mega-form, and Valdurmon as her Bio-Merge Mega, in addition to largely the same set of Jogress Megas that the previous pair of pages had listed.

271: On the other page was Mimi and Palmon. Her Mega-form was listed as Rosemon, with no mention of the Burst Mode. Strangely, Ceresmon of the Olympos Twelve was listed as her Bio-Merge Mega.

272: Flipping the page again, Izzy and Tentomon revealed no further surprises. HerculesKabuterimon was listed as the ladybug's natural Mega-form, and TyrantKabuterimon as the Bio-Merge Mega. She wondered briefly if not the book had it wrong; the reverse seemed more logical.

273: Joe's and Gomamon's entry had Vikemon as the natural Mega and Plesiomon as the Bio-Merge, though Saial mused once more if not the opposite would make more sense.

274: Another page-flip and no real surprises from TK and Kari's entries. That Patamon's Mega-form was Seraphimon was known to the angel, and Gatomon's Mega-level being Ophanimon was no surprise either. What did surprise her was that their respective Bio-Merges were Goldramon and Magnadramon. The angel noted that they would have access to three of the Four Great Dragons this way, with Azulongmon being the only one not to be thus.

276: Davis and Veemon's listings surprised her however, as with their Bio-Merge into UlforceVeedramon, Veemon had access to three of the Royal Knights. Even more curiously, there were a grand total of fifteen Armor-Digivolutions listed, and not just Flamedramon, Raidramon and Magnamon.

277: Ken and Wormmon's entry held nothing she wasn't expecting; Stingmon as a Champion-level, DinoBeemon as Ultimate, GranKuwagamon as Mega, GrandisKuwagamon as a Bio-Merge, eleven Jogresses, fifteen Armor Digivolutions...

278: Cody and Armadillomon's page were no different than the previous ones; Ankylomon, Brachiomon, Cannondramon, ElDradimon as a Bio-Merge, eleven Jogresses, fifteen Armor-forms.

279: Yolei and Hawkmon were no surprise either; Aquilamon, Garudamon, Valkyrimon... Saial paused, as apparently, Valkyrimon was the Bio-Merge form, in addition to being both the Mega-form of Silphymon, and Hawkmon's natural Mega-level.

She was greatly surprised at reading all this, as across the infinitude of alternate timelines in the multiverse, these Digivolutions and Bio-Merges had taken place in several, though only some displayed more than a few of these, and some even showcased alternate forms for the partners of the Digidestined.

Deciding to shelve that enigma for later, the angel flipped a page to Takato Matsuki's entry. There were no immediately no visible discrepancies, compared to his earth-forty-six iteration; Guilmon, Growlmon, WarGrowlmon, Megidramon, Gallantmon, and Gallantmon Crimson Mode were all present.

At least, she thought that there weren't any, until she noticed an entry below Crimson Mode, called 'Hybrid-form', listing Chronomon Destruction Mode, apparently formed by...

Angewomon blinked, skeptical of what the book read. Apparently, Chronomon Destroyer Mode was formed by the Jogress of Gallantmon and Sakuyamon. Was that even possible? Gallantmon and Sakuyamon were formed through Guilmon and Renamon Bio-Merging with their partners; was it actually possible for Bio-Merged Digimon to Jogress together? And even if they could, how could any of the four possibly maintain any sense of individuality when merged with three other minds?

Rika's and Renamon's entry listed the same as Takato's and Guilmon's did, with Sakuyamon and Gallantmon being required for the Jogress into Chronomon Destroyer Mode.

The next pair of pages held Henry's, Terriermon's, Suzie's and Lopmon's entries. Henry and Terriermon's page contained no surprises, save another Hybrid-form. Somehow, she wasn't greatly at finding Chronomon Holy Mode as the Jogress of those two Bio-Merged Digimon, as it made marginally more sense for the angelic Cherubimon to reach that form, with the power of MegaGargomon added to her own. Oddly, the book claimed that Lopmon, in her natural Mega form, was able to Slide-Digivolve between both varieties of Cherubimon.

Turning to pages 284 and 285, she arrived at Jeri Katou and, surprisingly, Ryo Akiyama's entries. How could Ryo Akiyama be there? He was unique in the multiverse; there was only the earth-eight version of him.

Jeri Katou of Earth-Zero seemed largely similar to her earth-forty-six counterpart, in that her partner had been Leomon before dying at Beelzemon's hands, though unlike her counterpart, Calumon had become something akin to her new partner, and had gained the ability to Digivolve... Into _Lucemon_, of all things.

Saial wasn't certain whether to be more surprised by that Calumon could Digivolve, that his Rookie-form was Lucemon, or the even more shocking revelation that Calumon's Champion form was apparently Petermon. After that, it was Lucemon Chaos Mode, as she knew, and subsequently Shadowlord Mode.

Ryo's entry was the same as the earth-eight version. Monodramon, Strikedramon, Cyberdramon, Millenniumon, Moon=Millenniumon, ZeedMillenniumon, and Justimon as their Bio-Merge.

She flipped to pages 286 and 287. Kenta Kitawaga and MarineAngemon were the same there as on earth-eight, as was Hirokazu Shioda, only Guardromon had Hagurumon listed as his Rookie-form, and HiAndromon as his Mega, with no sign of a Bio-Merge, a Jogress, or anything else beyond his natural, six-seven stage Digivolution line.

As these two held no real interest to Saial amidst the flood of information, she flipped to pages 288 and 289; Takuya's and Koiji's entries.

Neither of the two's listings showcased any differences from the events of earth-twenty. Their Human-Spirit forms were Agunimon and Lobomon, their Beast-Spirit forms BurningGreymon and KendoGarurumon... Aldamon and BeoWolfmon... EmperorGreymon and MagnaGarurumon... And lastly, Susanoomon.

However, Zoe's and Tommy's entries surprised the angel.

Zoe's page listed an entry for a Fusion-form, JetSilphymon, despite her not having assumed one in the timeline that the angel remembered best. Even more surprisingly, there was a mention of a Transcendant form, TycoonSilphymon, supposedly accessible by combining the Wind Spirits with the Light, Darkness, Flame and Water Spirits.

Though, Angewomon doubted that the description of this form was entirely accurate, as it claimed TycoonSilphymon to possess enough physical strength, speed, durability and stamina to fight all thirteen of the Royal Knights to a standstill, in addition to supposedly be able to lift any amount of weight, and that no amount of weight could slow her down.

The appearance wasn't much of a surprise, as this form was described to have a very lithe, almost malnourished build, yet standing at almost 180 cm in height, in addition to largely resembling AncientKazemon, trading the shoulder-guards and rapier for additional body armor, coating every part of her body.

Tommy likewise had a listing for a Fusion-form, Daipenmon, and a Transcendant form achieved by combining the Ice Spirits with the Thunder, Steel, Earth and Wind Spirits, ZeedKorikakumon, which the book described as a twelve-meters tall version of the Beast Spirit form, made entirely of ice.

The next two pages concerned JP and Kouichi.

As she expected, JP had an entry for both his Human Spirit and Beast Spirit forms, with RhinoKabuterimon as his Fusion-form, and something called, 'PotentateBeetlemon', as his Transcendant form, created by unifying the Spirits of Thunder, Earth, Wind, Ice and Wood.

That version of Kouichi had a Fusion-form, Rhihimon, and was able to unify the Spirits of Flame, Water, Earth and Wind into the Spirits of Darkness, to become MagnaLoweemon, which was described as largely resembling MagnaGarurumon, only colored night-black, and having a shield instead of the 'Sniper Phantom', and a sword instead of the 'Strike Phantom'.

Reading further, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary on either Marcus', Thomas', Yoshino's, or Keenan's pages. However, Relena, surprisingly enough, had her own entry. How, the angel didn't quite understand; the girl had no Digimon of her own in most earth-fifty timelines Saial had visited.

Her confusion was only exacerbated by actually reading the entry of her so-called partner; Gumdramon, with Arresterdramon as a Champion-level, followed by either Cyberdramon or his Superior Mode as his Ultimate-level, and unbelievably, _Fanglongmon_, the Jogressed form of the Sovereign as his Mega.

Kristy was much less of a surprise, as the only difference between her and the earth-fifty version was that Biyomon had reached her Mega form, Hououmon.

Taiki, Akari, Zenjirou, Kiriha, Nene, Tagiru, Ryouma, Airu, and Ren's pages likewise matched what little the angel knew of them.

The exploits of the Digidestined and Tamers studied, Saial flipped to the page before Tai's, and was greatly surprised once more at what was there.

She had expected some grand riveting tale, something equally as grandiose as the death of a universe, something to shed light on the mystery, yet nothing of the sort was present. There was only a brief note on the entirety of the page, answering very few of her questions.

_'What exactly led to the demise of Earth-Zero remains unknown. Some have termed the events directly preceding it, 'The Last Great Time War', 'The Second War in Heaven', 'The Crisis on Infinite Earths' and 'Flashpoint', among other names, though when asked, no-one can explain exactly what took place. Indeed, some have reported their already-vague memories of the event changing. What is known is that whatever took place on Earth-Zero caused space and time across the infinitude of parallel universes to completely re-arrange itself.'_

Saial decided the entirety of the tale to be fictional. After all, what sort of force could conceivably defeat all of them together? It was a task that exceeded the combined might of the Seven Great Demon Lords, the Sovereign, the Deva, the Three Great Angels and the Royal Knights; with the levels of power the book claimed them to have, any of these groups of Digidestined or Tamers could fend off them all.

But if such a world did exist, the angel was just glad that it was in good hands.

Suddenly, she caught a glimpse outside. To her surprise, it was pitch-dark. She sighed in mixed amusement and embarassment. Had she really spent most of the day standing up, reading?

* * *

**Okay, so day 01 explored the relativity of morality, day 02 explored the infinitudes of humanity, Digimon and the multiverse... **

**Let's see what else I can find.**

**Day 02/80 notes.**

**1: Saial and Raya refers to the Digital and Human World in the plural. This stems from my theory/HeadCanon that well, across the worlds of the multiverse, there are only the same, eternal and recurring, set of Sovereigns, Demon Lords, Great Angels, Ryo Akiyama, and so on.**

**2: They consistently refer to Earth as the 'Human World', rather than the 'Real World' because within the franchise, the Digital World is as real as the Human World, and to refer to it as otherwise is demeaning to the Digimon and elitist by the humans, in addition to just being plain nonsensical. Certainly, it lacks physical substance, but so too does the emotion of love, the bond of family, and a lightning-bolt. Are you going to tell me that those aren't empirically real?**

**3: The things Saial make mentions of in the book-room metaphorically encompasses every Digimon fanfic ever written or thought of and/or the infinitudes yet to be made or thought up.**


	3. Day 03 of 80

**Alright, now this story is going places. Not necessarily good places, but certainly memorable places.**

**Also, there's a Digimon-poll on my profile that I'll like some votes on. Care to lend a hand?**

**Review responses.**

_Guest 01: _

**I take it you refer to the extensive HeadCanon material surrounding Ryo Akiyama? Sorry to say it, but that's largely incorrect; while Ryo has some knowledge of parallel universes (3), and alternate timelines, it's nowhere near enough to account for understanding entirely the contents of the book-rooms.**

_Keeper-of-Worlds:_

**Either 'deep' as you say, or needlessly complex. Perhaps both.**

* * *

Atop a metallic building in a large village likewise composed of gleaming, shining steel, a young, red-haired girl, about twelve years of age, sat in silence. Nearby, Renamon stood leaned against a wall, absently watching her and the cityscape beyond.

They had been there for about an hour, just watching the clouds pass by in the skies above, and the Digimon skitter around on the streets below. The reason they had even come to this place was because of a wayward Machinedramon, and now that it was taken care of, they could move on, as soon as Takato and Henry were done with whatever they were doing in the city.

The girl sighed. Though she could no longer claim to enjoy fighting as she once had, it seemed her only distraction from endless boredom. "How did it ever turn out like this?" She softly asked the kitsune, her voice melancholic.

Renamon wasn't entirely sure how to answer her query, mainly because of how long it had been since then, though she would attempt to regardless. "Because, Rika, sometimes life isn't fair." She told the girl, whose mind was drifting back to that day in Yamaki's office...

...

_"We're all here, Yamaki," Janyu spoke to the black-suited man, accompanied by Mayumi, Henry, Takehiro, Takato, Yoshie, Rika, Rumiko and Seiko. "Now can you tell us why our fifteen-year old children still look twelve? "_

_Yamaki didn't answer, instead looking at his report, documenting the outcome of the examination. "I have no idea how to tell you all this, so... After some testing, we've been able to determine that Takato, Rika and Henry are immortal." He spoke bluntly. Some of them, like Takato and Rumiko, laughed at his response, others, like Rika, Mayumi and and Seiko, eyed him incredulously, while yet others, like Takehiro and Janyu were confused as to what he meant by 'immortal'. _

_"Care to clarify?" Rika glared at him._

_Yamaki supposed that he couldn't fault any of them for being angry; after all, the long-term implications... "I don't see what there is to clarify; you'll never look older or die from old age."_

_"Great," Rika muttered in frustration. This was just not fair!? "So our options boil down to 'commit suicide', or 'spend the next few centuries mind-numbingly bored'?" _

_"Just so, Rika," Yamaki comfirmed. Mayumi's eyes widened. She had never given immortality much thought, and now that she did, she didn't like the implications. _

_"How... How did it happen?" Seiko asked, struggling to stay coherent._

_"As near as we can tell, during the D-Reaper incident," Yamaki slowly responded. "Dobermon's sacrifice transformed them into data, like the Digimon."_

_"But, you can bring them back to normal, can't you?" Takehiro asked, his tone vaguely pleading._

_Yamaki shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'm truly sorry, but Hypnos doesn't have the technology to genetically engineer human bodies, nor the technology to transfer minds into such bodies." _

_"I see..." Takato softly said, unsure of how to deal with all this. "Well, it's not all bad, right? Honestly, I can't think of anyone I'll rather spend eternity with than you guys..." He told Henry and Rika. _

_While Henry found the gesture sweet though a bit unsettling even after so long, Rika snickered at it. _

_"Yeah," Henry replied._

_"I suppose that this makes three of us," Rika added. Yamaki, their parents and Seiko watched them with surprise at how well they were handling this. He almost regretted having to ruin the moment..._

_"Four, actually," Yamaki revealed, surprising everyone present. "Ryo Bio-Merged too, remember?"_

_"But, he wasn't there when Dobermon gave us the power." Henry exclaimed. Yamaki blinked. If he hadn't then how had he ever Bio-Merged in the first place?_

_"Regardless, I have a proposal for three of you," Yamaki reluctantly spoke, confusing the group, as he'd just admitted that he could do nothing to undo their immortality. "How would you like to leave this world, and go back to the Digital World?"_

_Everyone present, including Riley and Tally, stared speechlessly at him. After a minute of silence, Janyu was the first to speak. __"You want our children... To just leave?" _

_"I don't see how there's any other option," Yamaki replied apologetically. "If they stayed here, people would start asking why they aren't getting older. What if they were to require state-mandated medical care? What sort of lives could perpetually-young twelve-year olds lead?"_

_The parents nervously looked around. His reasoning made perfect logical sense, but this was their children!_

_"Mom, Dad... Yamaki's right," Takato quietly spoke, trying to ignore the shocked looks they gave him._

_"Yeah," Henry intoned. " I... I __agree with Yamaki."_

_"Dammit, no!" Rika shouted. "This can't be happening!"_

_"I'm sorry, honey, but it is," Seiko whispered. "Whatever happens, in the Digital World... Just promise me that you'll stick together."_

_"I promise, Grandma," Rika replied._

_"That goes for you two too," She sternly told Takato and Henry. "Just promise you'll watch her back at all times."_

_"We will," They promptly answered. While Rika understood her Grandma's point of view and appreciated the two's gesture, she still didn't appreciate any sort of insinuation regarding her ability to take care of herself._

...

A weary smile grew on Rika's lips. "How long ago was it now? Sixty years? A hundred?"

"Perhaps a hundred and twenty," Renamon dismissively replied, not particularly interested in the exact number. "I've lost count."

Sixty to a hundred and twenty years, Rika mused... That would make it 2064 back on their earth, at the earliest. It was hard to imagine it having been that long already.

Though, the endless years had proven beneficial in some ways; she wasn't sure when exactly it was, but somewhere along the way, Sakuyamon, Gallantmon and MegaGargomon had somehow managed to Jogress together, any two into Sakuyamon Azure Mode, Gallantmon Crimson Mode or MegaGargomon Emerald Mode, and all three into a form that none of them knew exactly what was called, nor did the Sovereigns, Three Great Angels or ENIAC (_or Yggdrasil, as it now called itself... At least, Rika suspected them to be the same). _

"Alright," Rika sighed, getting up. "Now that we're done here, on to the next battle."

Renamon could only agree with that statement. Their journey back to the Rose Morning Star, to receive their latest assignment from the Celestial Digimon, should only take a few hours. Over the years, the Tamers and their partners had become something akin to agents (_killers, peace-keepers and messengers, as circumstances dictated_) of the Great Powers of the Digital World, in exchange for transportation to other Digital Worlds. She doubted that they had returned to their own universe in all that time...

It wasn't that they enjoyed fighting (_At least, that was what Renamon told herself_), but with nothing to do but aimless drifting, being given a purpose had been rejuvenating, reinvigorating and liberating to the group.

The two Bio-Merged into Sakuyamon and flew down to the street below, deciding to find the others.

The place was pretty, the Renamon part of her distantly noted. The streets were composed of sleek, stainless chrome-Digizoid metal, fitting the largely machine-Digimon residents.

Her stroll down the street was interrupted by an Andromon with a murderous intent in his eyes. Inside, Rika groaned in frustration, wondering why so many Digimon saw fit to throw away their lives for some twisted sense of accomplishment. She was slightly inclined to actually _let _him kill her, if only for the chance to end her boredom, but she wasn't about to commit suicide, and leave Guilmon, Henry, Takato, Terriermon and Renamon to themselves.

"Can I help you with anything?" Sakuyamon sardonically asked, knowing full what he wanted. Perhaps, suicide _was _a viable solution; it wasn't as though living held any sort of appeal they hadn't already experienced, she rationalized.

He ignored her question, pointing a fleshy finger at her. "You're the human with a Digimon, aren't you?"

"Indeed," The part of her that was Rika drawled.

Pleased to have received confirmation, he tensed in anticipation of a fight. "Fight me!" He demanded. Sakuyamon didn't respond, walking past him. "Turn and face me, coward!" He called out again to the shaman, who kept walking. He growled in fury, unleashing a Lightning Blade, charging at her.

The attack never connected, as the shaman did a backflip, landing on her feet behind him, and before he could react, making another leap to the top of a building.

She had no interest in a fight at the moment, and he would likely not be dissuaded, so she deemed some distance between them to be best. As she flew away from the scene, she heard Andromon scream in impotent fury.

...

...

A few hours laters, Rika, Renamon, Henry with Terriermon on his head, and Takato with Guilmon were wandering through the desert.

Even after two hours of walking, it would still be a good couple of hours before they arrived at the Rose Morning Star, the red-head noted with mild impatience, staring at the passing landscape, forests, lakes and deserts, even a solitary mansion...

Rika blinked at the sight. They had taken the trip to-and-from the Rose Morning Star several times already in their few months in this Digital World, and she'd never seen this building before. She decided that this merited further investigation.

Neither, Henry, Takato or Terriermon were entirely certain why Rika and Renamon were diverging from the tracks, while Guilmon figured it to be because of that new building, though they went after her regardless.

"Are you coming?" She sardonically asked, and received a pair of soft smiles.

"We'll follow you anywhere," Takato replied, without the slightest bit of hesitation or doubt. Henry nodded his assent. Rika gave a grateful smile back, as while she'd had countless arguments and disagreements with them over the past century or so, moments like _these_ were why she greatly enjoyed having them around.

After about twenty minutes of steady walking, they arrived at the front door of the mansion. Henry blinked; had _this_ really been why she had decided to interrupt their walk back? But then, she had largely been in a curious mood for the past three years or so, and there was nothing inherently wrong with a bit of a detour, he decided.

"Rika?" She heard Takato tentatively ask. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

She turned around, and smirked at him. "Takato, remember that time about thirty-forty years ago, when you said that?"

Takato stared blankly at her. "Wha-? How am I supposed to remember something so far away?"

She decided that it was a reasonable request. "Alright, about thirty years ago. We came across a stray group of NeoDevimon deep in the desert. Terriermon referred to you as a weird old bisexual for a few weeks afterwards because he thought it was funny. Does that sound familiar?"

Takato responded affirmingly, while Henry stared disapprovingly at the rabbit. "Momentai, Henry!" Terriermon attempted. To his chagrin, though not surprise, it didn't work. "What? It's not like I'm wrong. After all, he dated Rika for a few years decades ago, and he's dated _you_ for the past three years." The rabbit retorted.

"Yeah, but this was more about calling me weird," Takato commented.

"Oh yeah," Terriermon smirked, and turned back to Rika. "Rika, since no-one seems to want to tell you, I will; you're crazy, and you're going to get us all killed."

Her smirk grew. "Is that a problem to you?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Terriermon snorted. "Dying for your sakes, any of you, stopped being a daunting prospect years ago, but I'm in no hurry."

Rika, Guilmon, Henry, Takato and Renamon stared at each-other, smiling softly. It wasn't often that the mouthy rabbit got mushy. All things considered, neither redhead nor kitsune would mind it much if it were to happen again.

"Anyway, we got off-topic. If you guys really think it's a bad idea, we'll continue onwards to the Rose Morning Star," Rika told the others. Henry's expression turned pensive. In the human World, a new mansion appearing out of nowhere wouldn't arouse any particular suspicion. Here, however, a mansion spontaneously showing up in-between Steel City and the Rose Morning Star... Rika was right; it merited a further look. For all they knew, it might be one of Lilithmon's vacation homes, or a trap to attract bypassers.

In the latter case, it seemed too dangerous to leave alone, and them getting caught was preferable to innocent Digimon getting caught by whoever or whatever was inside. "I agree, Rika. It's likely best to check it out."

Takato, Guilmon, Renamon and Terriermon hesitantly nodded. While the kitsune honestly would've preferred them to continue their trek, she supposed that another diversion wouldn't hurt.

With that, Rika turned around, knocking on the door, waiting for a response from the inside. About a minute later, the door opened, revealing LadyDevimon.

"Now this is amusing," She chuckled briefly, watching them with interest. "The famous Digimon Tamers at the doorstep of my humble abode? How can I help?" She casually inquired, blinking when she saw the group take a step backward, and become wary. "Don't be afraid." She smiled at them. "I won't hurt you."

Henry blinked, while Takato stared confused; while they had met a few demonic Digimon that feigned politeness and cordiality, none of them had been as sincere as she was. Rika, however, didn't place much faith in what the demoness was saying, knowing that type of person all too well.

Regardless, they followed her inside. Renamon briefly surveyed the hall. It wasn't a large room, she offhandedly noted. In fact, there barely seemed to be three meters from floor to ceiling.

Nor was it particularly well-decorated. Indeed, the absence of furniture was almost striking, and made the navy-purple walls and wooden doors stand out all the more, with the abnormality in the interior being a spiraling staircase leading upstairs.

"How do you like the place?" LadyDevimon inquired, seeming to genuinely want their opinion.

"It's quite scarce, but I figure it's habitable," Rika shrugged.

"Happy to hear it," The demoness gave them a wide smirk. Somehow, Guilmon wasn't as unnerved by it as he felt like he should be. "Care to stay the night?

Henry couldn't help but find it a but unsettling for someone who looked that demonic to also be cordial and inviting, though he didn't deem it wise to bring it up. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time we've stayed in a mansion in the middle of nowhere. How about you guys?"

Renamon responded predictably to the group, with a brief nod. Evidently, the withdrawn phase she'd been in for almost eight years wasn't over yet... Guilmon grinned, while Terriermon intoned that he wanted his own room.

"I'm sorry," LadyDevimon interjected. "But apart from my own, there's only a single bedroom in this building. I'm sorry if that would make any of you uncomfortable-" She paused, noticing the amused expressions the six of them sported. The demoness couldn't claim to entirely understand humans, but she thought that humans their age were given pause at the idea of cohabitation.

"We can assure you that it won't be a problem," Rika smirked. While it had been for the first few years in the Digital World, any reservations she had around them were long gone, decades ago.

"I see," LadyDevimon responded. Though still a bit confused, the Digimon Tamers were known to defy all expectations, and why should something like this be an exception?

...

...

...

Several hours later, Rika was lying in one of the beds, wide-awake, and unable to sleep for reasons unknown to the red-head. In another bed, Takato was soundly asleep with his head buried in Henry's neck, both entirely nude underneath the bedsheets. In another bed, not adjacent to either of theirs, were Renamon and Guilmon.

The red-head closed her eyes, musing that they had been doing this dance for several decades now. No, not a dance, she decided, it was more akin to an cyclical interlocking rotation of romantic relationships.

About three months after they left for the Digital World, she and Takato had gotten together, which had lasted for about a year. After that, it had been Guilmon and Renamon, which had lasted for almost a decade, before a nasty argument ended it, and they didn't talk for several months. Subsequently, it had been Henry and Terriermon for a few weeks, much to her own discomfort. She had nothing against homosexuality, but interspecies-love just unnerved her.

Thereafter, it had been Guilmon and Terriermon, which only lasted two months, when they caught the rabbit cuddling with Renamon, which resulted in three months of him getting the cold shoulder from everyone save Henry.

About that time, they had collectively agreed never to consider the notion again, the pains of several failed relationships serving only to remind them of it. That state of affairs lasted for seven years, if she remembered correctly, with Takato and Renamon deciding to pain themselves with a relationship that they and the other four knew wouldn't last. The confirmation of that fact came a year later, though none of them had wanted to get it.

Afterwards, more or less ten years passed before she and Takato got together again, for three years before whatever sense of love had reignited between them petered out once more. Unusually, a second couple got together that time and separated a month after them, namely Henry, Terriermon and Guilmon, which she noted wasn't technically a couple, though she was unsure of the exact term, if any existed. At least she now had something to look up at Ophanimon's library, when next she got the chance.

A few years later, she got together with Renamon, mainly out of boredom, as it was the only sort of romantic relationship she hadn't tried over the decades. As it turned out, it was rather enjoyable, though as it also turned out, merely enjoyable relationships tended not to last very long, in this case two months, before it got too awkward to be both romantic lovers and platonic partners.

This relationship failure was followed by a two-year break, in which they briefly entertained the notions of traveling, just themselves and their partners, before dismissing it, as far too much time had passed for any of them to feel remotely comfortable without the other five around.

Sometime later, Takato and Terriermon dated for three months, concurrently with Renamon and Henry for two years, and her and Guilmon, and after that, it was all rehashing the past.

Takato and Henry... Her and Takato again... Takato, her and Renamon... Guilmon and Henry... Takato, her and Henry... Renamon, Guilmon and Terriermon... Takato, Renamon and Guilmon...

The red-head managed a weak smile; unless she had miscounted somewhere, it all amounted to eighty-three years. In time, they had literally been all things to each-other. Friends as confidantes, lovers as literal soul-mates, everything in-between and countless more besides... So why couldn't they make it last?

Deciding that there was no point in trying to get some sleep this night, she quietly got out of the bed, taking not to wake any of them, walking downstairs, and into one of the book-rooms.

LadyDevimon and Angewomon was greatly surprised at seeing Rika awake at this hour, though she saw no reason to bring it up. "Hey, Rika." She offhandedly told the red-head, neither particularly interested in conversation, their attentions fixed on the abundance of literary material surrounding them on the twelve bookshelves that seemed to double as structural support.

"That's quite an assembly," Rika remarked, looking around at the bookshelves that were stocked with the brim with books of all colors yet the same general size. Some of them held her name as well as someone called 'Ruki Makino', others Takato's with the occasional misspelling 'Matsuda', and yet others held Henry's name, misspelling it Jenrya and Jianglang, among others, while others described the Digidestined and and various others she had no idea who were.

"Indeed," LadyDevimon replied, smirking. "These books hold tales of countless alternate versions of yourself, and somewhere among this tempest of recollection is your story."

"I doubt that a single book could accurately recount almost a century of life," Rika snorted, confusing the other two greatly.

"Pardon?" The demoness stuttered. Rika didn't quite understand why; she had been entirely disambiguous about it.

"I'm almost a hundred years old," She clarified, without a hint of irony in her flat, disinterested tone. Angewomon wasn't sure whether it was an odd joke, as the girl, or woman as she claimed, before them wasn't particularly inclined for such, save with her closest companions, but it had to be; she looked no older than twelve or thirteen, yet she purported to be almost a hundred? How was this even possible?

"Good one," LadyDevimon laughed, earning her a curious look from the red-head. "I almost bought it."

"I wasn't kidding," Rika responded. "I really _am _almost a century old."

"But you look so young," Angewomon stammered, shocked. Though perhaps, she mused, she shouldn't be shocked at all; with thousands upon thousands of Rikas and Rukis, it stood to reason that at least one version of her was immortal.

"That's immortality for you," Rika grumbled. She honestly didn't mind the longevity anymore, but she would really have liked to grow older, no matter how slowly it would've happened.

"You poor humans," LadyDevimon whispered apologetically, her voice holding nothing but concern for the red-head and her friends, suspecting how they were rendered immortal. "Once you've been made into data like a Digimon, there's no way to convert you back into flesh."

"Yeah..." Rika absently muttered. "Besides, I'm honestly fine with it at this point."

"You are 'fine' with being immortal?" Angewomon questioned. "'Fine' with being errant until doomsday?"

"Of course I am," Rika shot back, her tone suddenly more tense than it had previously been. "I've had Renamon, and Takato, and Henry, and Guilmon, and Terriermon with me along the way for decades now."

Angewomon was strongly taken aback by her response; for someone who looked so young to voice such sentiments... "You love them, don't you?" LadyDevimon softly asked, giving the angel a longing glance.

"Platonically or romantically?" She rhetorically asked back.

"Platonically," LadyDevimon clarified.

"Yes," Rika replied casually.

"And romantically?" Angewomon tentatively inquired.

"That one's a long story, but yes," Rika replied again, surprising the angel with how easily she admitted to such feelings towards them.

"Then, are you romantically involved with them?" Angewomon asked. "Collectively, I mean?"

Rika hesitated to respond, considering the notion. Certainly, if they were to express interest in that, she'll take part in it, and it seemed like the only possible relationship they hadn't tried... "I'm not with any of them at the moment, though over the decades, I've been involved with any one or two of them. Perhaps, in a few months or years..." She mused, her expression turning distant.

"I... I see," Angewomon and LadyDevimon stammered in unison, unsure of how to respond to the notions she was alluding to. To the angel and demoness, romantic love was something sacrosanct, shared only between two entities; whether human and human, Digimon and Digimon or human and Digimon was irrelevant.

"Is that everything?" Rika asked, not sounding particularly interested in whether they had anything further or not, while reaching for a book on the second shelve of the nearby bookcase.

Neither angel nor devil could think of anything to respond with, so the three spent the remaining night-hours, reading, of other worlds, other times, other people and other places.

* * *

**What? I have a near-infinite multiverse of characters to tag in and out, why shouldn't I use a few of them?**

**So, now Raya and Saial have some new company. If they're annoying or confusing to have around, then it's a good thing they aren't staying longer than a day or two.**

**If they're sufficiently-well liked (1+ fan), they could stick around, I suppose.**

**Day 03/80 notes**

**1: ****While Dobermon's sacrifice is admittedly a highly flimsy justification for their immortality, consider how exactly that would've made it possible. As we see later, they're capable of Bio-Merging elsewhere, ruling out it being an _Area-of-Effect_ thing generated by Dobermon, making it more likely**** that they've become data themselves similar to Digimon, which are immortal, barring accidents.**

**As for why they wouldn't have had to go to the Digital World in this scenario; while made of data, they wouldn't have any sort of alternate forms or attacks, nor a DigiCore, leaving them sufficiently unlike Digimon that they wouldn't have had to.**

**2: On one hand, them showing up could be interpreted as foreshadowing from day 02's tirade about alternate timelines and parallel universes, or it could be interpreted coming outta nowhere, space, and adding nothing of value to the story. Take your pick.**

**3: Don't ask me what that triple Jogress/Bio-Merge thing would be called.**

**4: While ****Takato and Henry sleeping together is likely a ****creepy, unsettling and disgusting mental image, evocative of under-age sex****, consider that they are at least in their seventies chronologically at that point****, even if they don't look the part.**

**5: While Rika's reasoning for going to Raya and Saial's place may seem incredibly vague, consider that immortals don't think like mortals do; without anything resembling purpose, they'll indulge in whatever flights of fancy strikes them, anything to relieve their brief and recurring boredom.**


	4. Day 04 of 80

**Review responses: **

The Keeper of Worlds)** Let's do a headcount here, shall we? The story revolves around Angewomon/LadyDevimon, that's one pairing. Now, with the immortal Tamers from day 03, that's fifty more (twenty-five two-person, twenty-five threesome permutations, and not counting the 125 foursome/ 6 fivesome / 1 sixsome permutations) among those six. Now with this chapter, we get Lilithmon/Lucemon, Lilithmon/any other Demon Lord, and Lilithmon/Ophanimon (hinted), for a grand total of thirty-eight pairings in three chapters... You seriously want me to add the 02/Frontier casts?**

**Are you getting the feeling that this was a horrible, poorly thought-out request? Zero Slash One agrees. You'll definitely get your wish, though.**

Deadman Infinite) **Mission accomplished.**

* * *

Lucemon gave an inquisitive look to Lilithmon, who was in the company of a NeoDevimon, a LadyDevimon and a Myotismon, wondering what she was intending to do with the three Digimon that seemed conspicuously like some subjects from his regeneration experiments several months backs.

"Care to inform me what you are planning, Lilithmon?" Lucemon asked.

"Consider it a surprise visit for the Great Angels," Lilithmon offhandedly spoke, alarming Lucemon slightly, as he briefly wondered whether she'd forgotten the agreements they had with them, regarding the sanctity of their respective territories. Lilithmon noted the slight, almost imperceptible, twitch in Lucemon's expression. "I remember the agreement full well. However, this is a formal visit, not an invasion. Perfectly permissible, I assume?"

Lucemon wasn't altogether convinced by her response, as exploiting loopholes rarely turned out well. "And if this should fail?"

"Now really, Lucemon," Lilithmon chuckled heartily. "Don't act as though you care for anything I can provide you, other than carnal gratification."

"Touche," Lucemon replied, unsurprised and pleased to see a concupiscent smirk grace Lilithmon's lips, as she turned to the other three.

"This excursion has been postponed for a few hours," She told the NeoDevimon, LadyDevimon and Myotismon. They left the area wordlessly, the umbral darkness pulsating where they had once been.

Lucemon slowly removed his toga, and the nude boy-like angel floated. While removing her garments, exposing her perfectly spherical, formidably-large breasts and already sopping-wet snatch to the fallen angel, the demoness noted with dismay that he wasn't especially well-endowed; his length was barely the length of her fingernail in its limp and flaccid state, and even fully erect he only gained an inch or two.

Regardless, they began their session. Much to Lilithmon's surprise, not even a minute had passed before Lucemon gave several throaty groans, about ready to cum. Indeed, Lilithmon was starting to feel aroused herself, though _nowhere_ near her limits. As if in response, the young angel Digivolved to his Ultimate level. Lilithmon groaned in mixed annoyance, pleasure and pain, mentally and physically bracing herself for the mind-blowing amounts of pleasure she was about to receive.

She grumbled in mild discomfort as his cock spontaneously expanded; what had previously been barely the size of a finger was now large enough to force her womanhood open wider than Lilithmon almost could cope with, the tip of his rock-hard dick rubbing up against her cervix.

Almost, she smirked as the pace of his thrusts quickened in pace with his moans. Giving a final, forceful thrust, Lucemon screamed out in pleasure, while Lilithmon gave a thoroughly pleasure-filled chuckle when he reached his climax, the tip of his cock shuddering against her cervix and shooting thick ropes into her eager womb.

About thirty seconds later, the Ultimate's ejaculations were starting to cease, with only meager drips of cum entering Lilithmon.

After thirty further seconds, his manhood had finished it's discharge entirely, and the Ultimate pulled out of her, collapsing backwards, all the while reverting to his Rookie form. By then, Lilithmon's womb was entirely filled to the brim with his thick, creamy spunk.

"Damn, Lucemon," Lilithmon panted slightly. She had rarely been filled like this; had she been human, pregnancy would have been ensured by the initial load of his hot seed inside her, or any of the subsequent ones. Indeed, she mused that that such amounts of semen inside a female human, as was now filling her, might even prove detrimental to their health. What fragile creatures, she shook her head. "That was good." Lucemon was too tired to respond, settling for a contented wheeze.

After a few seconds, his breathing had returned to normal enough to allow him speech. "How much of my seed is inside you now?" He asked, trying as best he could to make the question sound casual and informal. It was a competition, of a sort, among him the other five demon lords; each of them would take a turn with Lilithmon, and whoever would place the most semen inside her was the winner. Of course, only a single turn was allotted per Digimon, but as he was the most powerful one, he saw fit to bend the rules.

Lilithmon stifled a laugh at the question. The other six were _still _engrossed in that competition that they actually thought she was unaware of? Nonetheless, indulging him might prove amusing. "I am not certain, though my womb feels as though it has been filled entirely." She responded, re-donning her dropped garments.

...

...

...

In a dome-like structure lined with vaguely-cyan crystalline walls, Ophanimon was deeply engrossed in a discussion with Cherubimon and Seraphimon, regarding troubling matters in the southern quadrant and equally troubling matters of the heart. They paused when they heard a series of taps on the doorway to their left, confusing Seraphimon slightly as all other residents knew this room to be sealed when the three of them were conferring. Cherubimon tensed, picking up some strange new smell from beyond the doorway. It was a sharp pungent smell, yet there was something appealing about it as well.

Outside, Lilithmon stood, waiting for them to open their door for her. After a minute of the doorway remaining immobile, the Demon Lord decided to gain entrance through other means.

"Oh, screw this," They heard a decidedly female voice declare. The voice was soft and silky-smooth, similar to Ophanimon's in tone and pitch, yet with more-than-pleasant warmth to it than they associated with her.

The declaration was followed by the doorway and surrounding wall coming crashing down, revealing Lillithmon, in the flesh and revealing attire. "Sorry about that," She laughed at the angels, who prepared for an attack to strike down. "But the door seemed to be locked."

"You've got some nerve coming here!" Cherubimon growled at her, unleashing his Terminal Judgment towards her, assuming a fighting stance. Lilithmon didn't seem particularly concerned with the lightning blasts, even feigning a yawn as she snapped three of the fingers of her human hand, declaring, 'Empress Emblaze'. Why Ophanimon and Seraphimon felt chills down their spines as the blasts were dispersed, neither of them understood.

"Amusing though it would be to do so, I did not come here to fight with you," Lilithmon told them. Ophanimon stared skeptically at her, wondering if she seriously believed any of them to be stupid enough to believe that. "I came here to discuss a mutual, though minor, concern."

"We have nothing to discuss with you!" Cherubimon growled, as he unleashed another barrage of thunderbolts, while Seraphimon unleashed his Strike of the Seven Stars and Ophanimon her Sephiroth Crystals.

Lilithmon sighed in annoyance at their reluctance to simply talk, delivering three further fingersnaps in rapid succession, dispersing the energies contained within their attacks. Ophanimon stared in shock, speechless at seeing her dismiss their combined power with a few gestures.

"If you are done expending power, I suggest that we attend to business!" Lilithmon calmly spoke, ignoring the outrage and disbelief of the angels she was adressing.

"You have no business here!" Cherubimon roared, a crimson lightningbolt appearing in his hand, crackling with power, which he flung at the archdemoness, which she casually dismissed as she had the previous assaults.

"On the contrary, Master Cherubimon, I do," Lilithmon replied, her tone level and devoid of emotion. The angelic Digimon stared at her, surprised to hear her use Cherubimon's title with no seeming malice attached to it. Certainly, there was no respect in her tone either, but Cherubimon supposed that it wasn't to be expected. "I assume that you are aware of the wayward angel and LadyDevimon?"

"... We are," Ophanimon slowly answered, after some hesitation. "What of it?"

"Suffice to say, we have a vested interest in seeing this wager through," Lilithmon aswered. "And with the Tamers present as well, disrupting the wager will be difficult, even if the Demon Lords were to make the attempt. Therefore, I suggest that neither side, divine or demonic, intercede."

Ophanimon, for lack of a better word, yelped in surprise, amusing Lilithmon slightly. Was the archdemoness actually acting out of something resembling compassion, Ophanimon wondered.

"DIE!" Seraphimon yelled, unleashing his Strike of The Seven Stars at the same as Cherubimon fired his Lightning Blast, only for their efforts to be in vain. Four fingersnaps from Lilithmon later, their attacks were nullified, and the two collapsed, writhing in agony, with beads of sweat appearing in Cherubimon's forehead.

"What have you done?!" Ophanimon demanded, horrified at the ease both of them had fallen to her might. She had broken the agreement, and dared to strike at Seraphimon

"Fought back against a pair of Digimon who assaulted me, unprovoked, on a formal visit," Lilithmon answered. "Rather quick-tempered sorts, aren't they?"

"Unprovoked?!" Ophanimon exclaimed. Loath as she was to admit it, it _had _been them to strike first... "You forced your way inside this hallowed hall! You dare call that unprovoked?!"

"How else was I to enter?" Lilithmon pointed out. "The door was sealed, and you were evidently in no hurry to grant me access."

"Why, is a mystery for the ages..." Ophanimon dryly answered, earning her an appreciative look from the archdemoness; had Lilithmon known of Ophanimon's dry wit, she might have visited sooner. Normally, a body like Ophanimon's would make her a decent fit for Lilithmon's harem, but she had a preference for people who could argue back; there was little satisfaction to be taken from breaking weak people... "Now leave immediately, before we slay you!"

"Come now, you won't slay me; you lack the guts to do so. But allow me to assure you that in due time, I will help you find the guts to kill, by showing you some of your own... Although, I might well be persuaded to allow _you_ to live, as part of my harem," Lilithmon chuckled to the thoroughly disgusted Ophanimon. "A fine part indeed..."

"Enough!" The female angel roared, enraged at her implication. "Leave immediately, fallen one, or I _will_ destroy you."

Despite facing the Three Great Angels, the arch-demoness didn't take the threat particularly seriously. "Oh? Will you now? Lady Ophanimon, the embodiment of divine love and mercy? Would you truly slay another Digimon?"

Ophanimon took a wary step back as Lilithmon took soft, poised, graceful steps towards her, paying no heed to the writhing Cherubimon and unmoving Seraphimon to either side of her. The archangel knew that her death was certain; the Demon Lord had overpowered both Cherubimon and Seraphimon. What could she do by herself against an adversary like that?

Her musings were cut short when rather than slaying her, Lilithmon pressed her lips against hers. The archangel wasn't surprised in the slightest by the overpowering passions contained within the kiss. Slowly, the demon broke the kiss, smirking lewdly. "Perhaps there is merit to the notion." She chuckled. Suddenly, a MagnaAngemon entered the chamber, no doubt to bring aid to his comrades in their moment of need, or something equally theatrical, Lilithmon mused, mildly exasperated with the concept, though he might serve her purpose.

"How fortuitous your timing is, MagnaAngemon," Lilithmon smiled at the frantic angel. "I was just discussing military strategy with your masters, and it seems that we favor similar tactics."

MagnaAngemon stared blankly at the demoness, wondering what in the Digital World she was on about. How could the Three Great Angels possibly favor similar tactics to the Demon Lords?

"Consider, my pleasant friend, that the armies commanded from here include countless Patamon, Gatomon, Angewomon, Angemon, MagnaAngemon like yourself, Pixiemon, and various other angelic Digimon; Rookies, Champion and Ultimate-levels alike. Yet, do you not find it strange that, for all this group diversity, there are no Mega-Level Digimon apart from these three?"

MagnaAngemon stared, speechless at what the demoness was insinuating. "I am not your friend!" He shouted back, unable to think of any other retort.

"For that matter, you are not pleasant either," Lilithmon bit back, amused. MagnaAngemon shook his head, inwardly kicking himself for allowing her to distract him.

"My lords, we have rounded up the invaders, but there has been a casualty!"

"What?!" Ophanimon, Lilithmon, Cherubimon and Seraphimon sharply demanded, giving the demoness angered looks. They followed MagnaAngemon out of the hall, where the defeated demonic digimon were smirking triumphantly.

"What have you done?!" Ophanimon demanded of a LadyDevimon, who simply leered at her in response, her smirk fading promptly when Lilithmon spoke up.

"I'll tell you what they have done. They have disobeyed orders, killing one of your soldiers, and you have my word that they will suffer for it. Would you like the miscreant to suffer an eternity of agony in the Dark Area, or would you rather pass judgment yourself?"

Ophanimon stared incredulously at her, wondering if she was serious, while the offending LadyDevimon feebly attempted to plead for mercy. "SILENCE!" Lillthmon boomed at the demoness, one eye glowing red, while the demoness yelped in fright. "You knew your orders, yet you went further?" She lowly asked. Receiving no response, the Demon Lord of Lust wordlessly snapped three of her fingers. LadyDevimon screamed in agony as she reverted to BlackGatomon.

"You... Have spared me, my lady?" BlackGatomon confusedly asked the Demon Lord, who was glaring at her.

"Spared you?" Lilithmon chuckled, sending a chill down the newly-minted cat's spine. "I have done nothing of the sort. Enjoy your stay." With that, Lilithmon and the other demonic Digimon teleported back to the Dark Area, leaving BlackGatomon in the company of the enfuriated Ophanimon, Seraphimon, Cherubimon and assorted other angelic Digimon.

"Have mercy!" BlackGatomon pleaded of the angels, and earned harsh, cold stares from the gathered Digimon.

"You will survive," Ophanimon darkly told her. "That is all the mercy you will receive."

...

...

...

Renamon watched with interest as Henry stirred slowly, while Takato had been awake for about twenty minutes already, waiting for his boyfriend to wake up. "Hey, Takato." Henry drawled, his voice drowsy. Takato placed a soft kiss on Henry's lips, and broke away, smiling contentedly. "And good morning to you too." Henry responded, giving Takato another kiss.

"There's plenty of time for that later," They heard Rika tell them, sounding both lightly chiding and sharply displeased. The two and their partners turned their heads to the doorway, where Rika was, along with Angewomon and LadyDevimon.

"Rika told us last night that that you were immortal. Is this true?" LadyDevimon asked tentatively. The Tamers and Digimon shared looks. Slowly, Renamon and Henry nodded, privately uncertain of whether it was wise of her to be so open with that bit of information. "Then..." LadyDevimon paused, unsure of whether asking this was at all a good idea. "Would you like me to kill you?"

The Tamers and Digimon stared in shock at her, while Angewomon eyed her disappointedly. "Why would you _ask _that?!" Rika exclaimed indignantly.

"Haven't you lived long enough?" LadyDevimon asked the Tamers. While Renamon could only agree with that sentiment, having them killed was still not a notion she was going to entertain for another few centuries; they had places to go together and battles to still fight. "Aren't you tired of it yet? Tired of living, of drifting aimlessly, of wandering and fighting?"

"I _am_," Henry softly admitted, surprising the other five as well as the angel and devil. "I'm sick and tired of wandering, and fighting. It's all I've done in the past one-hundred years. I just wish... I just wish it could stop..."

Both the angel and the demoness gave a concerned to the immortal boy, unsure of what, if anything, to say to him. Renamon shared nervous glances with the other four of her long-time traveling companions. In hindsight, they _really _should've realized that Henry felt this way much earlier than now. They knew of his pacifistic beliefs, so why on earth hadn't any of them realized it?

Takato eyed his boyfriend, worried and regretful. While it was true that on the whole, the constant fighting had been his own idea, or Rika's, or Renamon's, or Terriermon's, or Guilmon's, why hadn't he said anything about this? He was reserved, yes, but not shy. He'd expressed distaste for it during the first few years in the Digital World, but as his complaints ceased quickly, Takato had assumed that Henry had accepted the battles as part of their lives.

Terriermon eyed his Tamer warily. He knew that Henry never approved of fighting, but the rabbit thought that he'd accepted the necessity of some battles long ago. When Terriermon finished the thought, he realized that accepting the necessity of fighting didn't equal liking it, and that it hadn't been just some battles they'd fought, but that it was _every _battle along the way.

"Henry, why? Why are you suddenly such a complete idiot?" Rika asked him, half-growling, seething with anger. Henry and everyone jerked their heads towards the wall where she was leaning.

"W-what?" Henry stuttered, mildly indignant, while Takato was glaring at her.

"Henry, you're one of the smartest guys I know," Rika replied. "So why would you _not _simply ask us to stop fighting? Do you really think we wouldn't?"

"Yes!" Henry angrily told her, startling everyone present. He sighed, his anger fading from his face. "I'm sorry for snapping at you, Rika. But, over the decades, we've been in so many fights that I can't ever imagine you guys just quitting immediately... Look, I'm sorry for not saying anything sooner, but you, and Takato, and Terriermon, and Renamon, and Guilmon... You enjoy fighting. You do it simply to alleviate your own boredom, and I didn't feel it right for me to spoil your fun."

Rika stared incredulously at him. "And there you go again, Henry! You're just too annoyingly selfless. Whether it's for Terriermon's sake, or Takato's, or mine, your first instinct is generally what would benefit and help others the most, not what you yourself want and need... I honestly can't tell whether that's a good thing or a bad thing..."

"I'm sorry, Rika, but that's just how I am. And I have actually done things, simply for myself. Many, in fact," Henry pointed out, wondering why she seemed to view him as some kind of saint.

"Look, Henry, just tell us what _you _want for once, instead of going along with what we want to do," Rika grumbled.

"Does it matter what I want?" Henry retorted sharply, surprising the others. "Because it hasn't for the past century."

"All the more reason to tell us what it is that _you _want, Henry," Renamon cut in. Everyone present started to look at Henry, eyeing him curiously.

"Look, it's not a big deal-" Henry began before Rika cut him off.

"Evidently, it is, so just tell us already," She demanded of him. Still, Henry remained silent, his face pensive, trying to work out whether telling them would ultimately be best.

"Oh for crying out loud, you're really gonna make me say it, arentcha?" Terriermon groused, shaking his head. "Henry, I'm starting to think that Rika was right about you being an idiot! We love you, we all do, so why don't you tell us what you'll rather do?" Henry decided that they wouldn't likely let the subject drop, so he resolved to tell them, and get it over with.

"Do you guys think that we could... I dunno, find a quiet place somewhere, and settle down?" He quietly asked, his voice containing a vague trace of sarcasm. Rika and Guilmon blinked, not having expected Henry to want something as mundane as that.

"Of course we could, Henry," Takato whispered soft, wrapping his arms around him. "It'll take some getting used to, but we'll do it if you want." Angewomon stared in surprise at the exchanges. How was it possible for any living beings to be as emotionally close as these six were?

"No, Takato, you don't get it," Henry replied, confusing the brunet as well as the others. "I didn't mean for just a few decades, and then going back into fighting, I meant _forever._"

"We understood your meaning the first time, Henry," Renamon interjected, smiling slightly.

"And what makes you think we have a problem with that?" Terriermon continued, smirking.

"So you just want to live happily ever after with us?" Rika questioned. Henry wasn't sure what to make of the mild amusement in her tone, so he didn't comment on it. "Honestly, it sounds ridiculous to hear you ask for something that idealistic and romanticized, but on the other hand, it does sound pleasant... I'm in, if you guys are."

Guilmon, Terriermon, Takato and Renamon collectively nodded. The kitsune noted that all things considered, after over a century of fighting assorted Megas, traversing the multiverse and journeying into alternate timelines, and stranger places besides, the quiet life sounded appealing...

"Se-seriously?" Henry stuttered, surprising at how easily they were acceding to his request. "You'll _really_ do it?!"

"Yes, of course we will, Henry," Rika shot back. "How is this even surprising to you? It _has _been almost a hundred years, after all." Henry simply smiled, unable to think of a way to express his gratitude. Angewomon couldn't help but smile amusedly. While it was decidedly a very touching sight, there was just something about three human children and their digimon pledging their eternal love for eachother that seemed marginally silly to the angel.

"Allow me to offer my assistance regarding that," LadyDevimon smiled. Rika and the others turned to her, wondering what she had in mind. "Since you are looking for a place to reside, and Angewomon and myself will be staying for only two months more, how would you like the place?"

The angel, the Tamers and their partners stared incredulously at the demoness. Was she really casually offering them the mansion?

"But, Raya, wouldn't the Demon Lords be furious with you for this?" Saial asked, while the Tamers and partners paused at hearing LadyDevimon being addressed as 'Raya'.

"Saial, consider for a moment what it is I'm doing here," Raya smirked back. "Creating this entire mansion and everything within it took only a small fraction of my own energy. Even if they would for some reason object to that, it would be a small price to pay for rendering any versions of the Tamers a non-factor. That being said, I do in fact hold some interest in their well-being and happiness, and gving them the mansion to live is unfortunately the best I can do."

"Thank you..." Takato whispered, deciding to ignore her less benevolent motivation. Rika and Henry decided not to inquire about why they had only two months left to stay. "Thank you so much..."

"Then it is decided," Saial declared to the group. "Once we leave this place within a few months, it is yours to do with as you please."

"What happens in a few months?" Terriermon quizzically asked. Raya and Saial shared an indecipherable look.

"If you don't mind, Terriermon, we would prefer to keep that to ourselves," Angewomon replied, with a note of what seemed to be embarrasment in her voice.

...

...

...

Several hours later, Saial and Raya were in their bedroom, the new residents long since gone to sleep.

"Today was... Eventful," Saial spoke to the demoness, who could only agree. "When you told them that this house was theirs if they wanted it, were you sincere?"

"Yeah," LadyDevimon responded, unsure of why she was asking. "Why do you ask?"

"It is merely surprising to see you act with something resembling benevolence, if not entirely out of the goodness of your heart," Angewomon answered, still wondering whether that bit about it being to render them a non-factor was an excuse or her genuine reason for it. She preferred to think it something like compassion and generosity, but the other option seemed more likely to the angel.

"Oh?" LadyDevimon responded, intrigued. "Is that so? Well then, I haven't been thorough enough in my pursuit of you, have I?"

"Perhaps," The angel softly responded, nestling up under the sheets. She froze when she felt something warm, soft and fleshy press against her back. She turned around, and saw Raya as she had expected. "Care to explain yourself?

"I'm sorry, Saial, but I..." The demoness paused, to entirely regain her composure. "I've missed you greatly, and would you mind if we were to share a bed, just for tonight?" She asked, with a hint of urgency and need to her voice.

"And what of your word that you would not seek sexual favors?" Angewomon pointedly asked.

"I'm not asking for sex, Saial, I just... Please... Just hold me... As we used to..." Raya answered slightly pleadingly, wrapping her arms around the angel.

Deciding that request to be relatively harmless, Angewomon whispered, "Of course..." With that, she wrapped her arms around Raya as well, and soon, the two once and perhaps future lovers were deeply asleep.

* * *

**That was certainly a different take on Lilithmon... Nice manners, I can see where Raya got hers.**

**1) While Lilithmon and Lucemon's sex scene is likely a disgusting image, as before, I'm going to defend it by saying that Lucemon isn't a child in human terms, beyond his outward appearance.**

**2) Further, I'm aware that the description of the sex scene doesn't match up with real-world human biology, chief among which, Lilithmon's unconcerned attitude to her being impregnated from it, to which I say, they are composed of data! biology PHDs are useless here.**

**3) Henry's passiveness was essentially an attempt at Deconstructing immortality; they've all changed over the past 80-100 years before the events of this chapter, and as we see with him, it wasn't change for the better. Even if you consider it unrealistic, or implausible considering his personality, consider that he's been with five very different people for a very long time; that he would deprioritize himself isn't impossible.**

**4) Lilithmon unleashing her attacks by snapping her fingers could be considered an allusion to the FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood anime, where the alchemically-created humanoid Lust, of the Homunculi, is incinerated to death at the hands of the pyrokinetic Colonel Roy Mustang, who activates his Flame Alchemy in a similar manner... Or it could be simply be because it makes for an awesome piece of imagery. Take your pick.**


	5. Day 15 of 80

**Reviewer responses:**

Guest)** Agreed on 1/2, certainly on 3, and you got me on 4.**

Keeper of Worlds) **So gushingly glad you enjoyed my little story.**

Deadman Infinite) **The... Hose? Oh, how absolutely terrifying... I believe you'll agree that turnabout is fair play? Tell you what, you bring out the hose, and I bring out my raving psychopath. Sounds like a fair trade, right?**

* * *

In her and Saial's bedroom, Raya was deeply entrenched in blissful sleep, her unconscious form lying deathly still underneath the silky navy-purple sheets. A distance away, next to the door, stood a navy-haired boy in a bandana with a blue jacket, a yellow shirt and gray pants, leaned against a wall, eyes focused on the resident coma patient.

He tensed when she thought to hear a faint groan from the demoness. Slowly, she stirred, rubbing her sore eyes, blinking when she spotted the boy. "Now this is indeed surprising," She chuckled. "First the esteemed Digimon Tamers, now the Legendary Warrior of Light... To what do I owe the pleasure?" She asked, before realizing that Saial was nowhere to be found, despite Raya clearly remembering that they had shared a bed the night before.

"Coincidence, purely," The boy responded, more than a bit surprised by the demoness' cordial tone. The demoness supposed that the answer was reasonable, even if it left several other questions unanswered, such as how he was suddenly here. The boy suddenly left the bedroom, and shouted down the staircase that she had awoken, leaving her all the more confused as to what was going on.

Shortly, Saial, Takato, Terriermon and Guilmon were in the bedroom. "Well, you're finally awake," Saial noted.

"Took her long enough," Terriermon cracked, confusing the demoness as to his meaning. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. Had she somehow been asleep for longer than she realized? It seemed impossible... After considering the situation, Raya wondered if not it was time to phase out the word 'impossible'...

"How long was I asleep?" LadyDevimon wearily asked, immediately regretting asking, as logic dictated she wouldn't much like the answer.

"About a half and a half," Terriermon bluntly answered.

"Lovely..." Raya snorted. "And when exactly did this Koji arrive?" She asked the group. Koji stared mildly intrigued at her, wondering what she was referring to by specifying, 'this Koji', since to his knowledge, there weren't any other versions of him presently in this Digital World, like he'd read about in the library below.

"Almost three days ago," Saial replied.

"So," Raya turned to the newcomer. "What's your story?"

"What?" Koji flatly asked, wondering why everyone seemed so interested in his backstory. The Angewomon and the 'Tamers', as they called themselves had asked that on the evening of his first day here. "The part you're most likely interested, the ending, is that well, after we defeated Lucemon as Susanoomon, and were sent hurtling back to the human world, the portal sealed before we could reach it. Within nothing else to do, we stayed in the Digital World, kept alive and unchanging by the Spirits themselves. After a few years, we... Had a disagreement, and I left..." Koji quietly answered, his mind drifting back to the afternoon of that day.

_..._

_..._

_"Koji, please, you're being ridiculous," Zoe quietly told him, struggling to maintain her composure. She had caught him and Takuya in a fistfight, and the two were sporting bloody noses. _

_"_I'm _being ridiculous? You chose him over me, knowing full well how I felt!__" Koji angrily told them. "__I'm leaving!"_

_"Good," Takuya spat, shocking Zoe._

_..._

_..._

"I-I see..." Rika whispered, unsure how to respond to that. The very idea of separating from Renamon and the others, for more than short periods of time, had over the decades become unthinkable, reprehensible even, and he had walked away from his own group voluntarily?

Saial nodded in agreement. Working out what sort of disagreement had driven the boy to do so hadn't been difficult for the angel, and she doubted that anyone else'd had much difficulty in deducing it either.

"By the Spirits themselves?" Raya questioned. "What do you mean by that?"

Koji responded by giving her an irritated look, before surges of Fractal Code washed over him, transforming him into a bipedal wolf-like creature with lavender fur and white skin, his entire body clad in more belts than seemed practical to the angel, wearing a pair of ash-gray jeans, his large eyes flaming orange. Everyone recognized the form as Strabimon, though Takato wondered what the purpose of transforming was.

Henry wondered how he had even done it without declaring 'Spirit Evolution', or touching his D-Tector. After that, he transformed into Lobomon and Beowolfmon in rapid succession, before reverting to normal.

"The Spirits of Lights aren't just items of power anymore, they're my heart." Koji revealed. "They're bonded to us now, on the most fundamental level possible. They can still be removed for Unified Spirit Evolution, but it's become very painful, and according to Ophanimon, it shouldn't be possible to do even _that_ in a few more years."

"Is that so?" Rika asked, disinterested, while everyone else stared, more than a bit surprised surprised to learn of this. Saial mused that it wasn't impossible what Koji claimed. Perhaps, each transformation left some kind of residual energy with Koji, and it was perhaps this that caused the 'bonding' he described...

Raya, however, was more curious why it seemed that their quiet little mansion had become a gathering point for immortals, and who else they could expect to show up... The Digidestined, perhaps? Or the DATS agents, or the Generals, or the Digimon Hunters from some divergent timeline... After further thinking, the demoness dismissed the thought, as she could think of no readily apparent way for the latter three groups to obtain the mixed blessing-and-curse that was immortality.

"I'm kinda tired, so I'm gonna go back to sleep..." Raya said to the disbelieving group.

"You've been asleep for literally almost two weeks, and you want to go _back _to sleep?!" Takato exclaimed.

"It's afternoon, Raya," Saial pointed out, with mixed exasperation and amusement. Honestly, had the angel been difficult to deal with as a Gatomon?

"I know. See you all next week," LadyDevimon joked, nestling back under the sheets. A minute, the only noise to be heard in the bedroom was her snoring.

"Your lover is... A rather fascinating individual," Renamon slowly told Saial.

"Freaking crazy," Terriermon shook his head. "I believe I've mentioned this."

"That she certainly is..." Saial fondly said.

* * *

**You may wonder why I saw fit to have a time-skip. **

**The reasoning is simple; it takes three days roughly to write a chapter, one or two further for the Beta-Reader to return it back to me, and allotting two more days for side-projects, it's roughly a weekly update-schedule per 'Day'. Given this, the story would reach into 2015, and I'm rather certain that nobody wants that long a wait.**

**Then again, at the current rate, we'll be finished by the yuletide season... 24/12/2013... **

**Merry christmas, everyone.**


	6. Day 16 of 80

**Review responses**

Guest) **How would that work exactly? Distributed by what method? With what camera? And which variety of Digimon would have interest in the day-to-day lives of the Tamers/ an Angewomon/LadyDevimon /the Legendary Warrior of Light? Yes, I realize that the implication is that the Tamers have saved nearly every Digital World in existence countless times over, but how would the average Digimon know about that?**

The Keeper of Worlds) **What else did you expect? Oh... Oh, I'm going to have them appear. But don't take it personally if I twist it around into something you never quite wanted or asked for.**

Deadman Infinite) **Whaaa? OH MY GOD, HE'S GONNA EAT ME! **

* * *

In the bedroom, Raya slowly stirred, blinking when Saial was nowhere in sight, realizing what had happened.

After getting dressed and walking downstairs, she found Saial, Koji, the Tamers and their partners engrossed in a conversation that seemed to have been carrying on for quite some time. "How long was I asleep this time?" Raya sardonically asked the group, who stared quizzically at her.

"About a day. It's noon right now, but I've got a better question for you; _why_ did you two even choose to live in the desert?" Terriermon grumbled. "This place is unbelievably dull..."

"It was where we found ourselves when we decided to cohabitate," Saial sheepishly answered. "Can you fault us for it?"

"Yes," Terriermon flatly responded.

"Well, also for the sake of privacy," Raya half-heartedly attempted, and received skeptical looks from Rika, Terriermon and Koji.

"Good job on that score, by the way..." They muttered simultaneously.

"Could you please stop staring?" Angewomon nervously asked Takato and Rika, who were eyeing her chest with mild interest and envy respectively, and Henry, who was instead ogling Raya. They hadn't meant to, but meeting the moderately well-developed Angewomon and more well-developed LadyDevimon just reminded her of everything she was missing out on in becoming immortal.

"It's quite alright," LadyDevimon assured them, smiling softly, while Terriermon rhetorically asked if she could blame them, joking that Rika was flat as a brick, earning him a furious glare from Rika.

"Almost a century, and you're actually hung up on that?!" The red-head seethed at the rabbit, who rushed to his Tamer, hiding behind his leg.

"Rika, calm down," Henry told the annoyed red-head.

"I _am_ calm, Henry," Rika replied flatly, which everyone present knew to signify a simmering inferno of anger boiling inside her. "I'm standing calmly, I'm breathing calmly..." She continued unemotionally, eyeing the rabbit with evident displeasure. "And soon, I'm calmly going to rip Terriermon's freaking head off."

...

...

...

About an hour later, Terriermon lied on his bed of choice, nursing his injuries from the beating Rika inflicted on him almost half an hour ago, bored out of his digital skull, with nothing in the way of entertainment but the highly-familiar, faintly nostalgic, sight of Takato and Henry engaged in a passionate make-out session. Against the left wall of the bedroom, Renamon stood leaned against a wall, her eyes closed, her stance completely calm.

As the sight held no real interest or value for the rabbit, he resumed staring at the dark-purple ceiling and walls surrounding his small form. Briefly, the kitsune wondered whether Henry had really thought it through when he told them that he just wanted to live the quiet life with the five, rather than wander the Digital Worlds, drifting between one decisive battle and the next.

She couldn't pretend that living like that wasn't safer, and perhaps even enjoyable in its own way as well, but after over a century, did he really expect that they could simply readjust to his ideal life so readily? Though she knew that they would likely give it to him, she just couldn't but wonder if not death _was _the preferable ending to it all, given the choices between wandering and fighting, a group suicide, or a quiet, peaceful existence that would almost inevitably degenerate into mind-numbing boredom...

The relative quietude of their borrowed bedroom was disturbed further when Rika entered the bedroom, a mildly perturbed expression on her face. Not noticing, a minute passed before Takato broke away from Henry, the chinese male greeting her briefly.

"Henry, we need to talk," Rika told him, with a note of nervousness to her voice, surprising Henry, as there wasn't anything going on at the moment that could cause such a reaction. Had he done something? It couldn't be that what he had requested yesterday had caused this, could it?

"What about?" He responded, deciding that his speculations were likely pointless.

Rika hesitated slightly. It wasn't a discussion she had much looked forward, but it had to be said, she knew. "Henry, when you told us yesterday that you wanted nothing more than to live someplace quiet with us, were you serious?"

Takato and Terriermon noted Henry tense slightly, the navy-haired male hoping that the conversation wasn't headed where he suspected. "Of course I was, Rika. Why wouldn't I be?"

Rika gave him a wistful smile. "You _do _realize what it entails, don't you?" As she uttered the words, Henry began to glare at her. One-hundred years of following her everywhere, and she couldn't even try to pretend to give him this in return? Takato, Terriermon and Renamon sighed inwardly, all three wondering whether she really believed that they hadn't realized the consequences already, and arrived at the conclusion that it was an infinitesimally-small price to pay for something Henry wanted.

"Why do you think I never suggested it?" Henry quietly answered.

"Look, Henry, we'll definitely do this for you, it's just..." Rika paused, sighing before continuing. "But... How long do you think it would be before living here became unbearably dull?" The red-head questioned. "A year? Two years? Five? A decade? What would we be doing here to amuse ourselves?"

"You've got all of us," Henry pointed out with a smirk.

"That works," Rika grinned back.

...

...

In the other bedroom, Saial was sprawled out on the queen-sized bed, her expression pensive, one or two of her six wings occasionally twitching every few seconds.

What had begun as a relatively-straightforward wager between her and Raya had been complicated greatly by the surprise arrivals of the first Tamers and their partners, then Koji. The angel couldn't pretend that they weren't pleasant company in their own ways, but hadn't it been supposed to be just her and the demoness?

Come to think of it, hadn't the demoness already won, in a sense? Even after only five days, the angel couldn't say that it wasn't readily apparent that the demoness genuinely loved her without deluding herself.

Deciding that dwelling on the matter likely wouldn't wield answers, she wandered downstairs, into the left library, where she found the demoness. However, Raya's presence was just about the only thing that didn't surprise about the room.

What had previously been a two-three meters tall and wide book room with navy-blue walls and eight wooden bookcases of three shelves each brimming with books, was now a five meters tall and fifty-sixty meters wide library, with deep-white walls that almost seemed to extend into infinity, the bookcases numbering closer to a hundred, and tripled in height.

The bookcases themselves, which had previously been arranged horizontally in a pattern of two standing side by side and three behind each, were now sectioned of sets of six, with several more sets behind each, with two-three meters of empty space separating each bookcase.

Strangely, there was also several smooth wooden columns, scattered randomly around the floor, contrasting the much orderly layout of the bookcases.

Next to the door, Saial noted the sudden presence of a wooden staircase leading upstairs that extended behind the wall. She didn't quite know how far up it extended, but judging from the dim lighting in the passage-way, she estimated it to be quite far up.

_"How is this possible?"_ Saial wondered, looking around with a flummoxed expression for the demoness, spotting her, with a few stacks of books around her, about five bookcases into that pseudo-maze of memories, fond as painful, things forgotten, and things yet to be.

"Hey, Saial," Raya smiled brightly at the angel who was approaching her. "Do you like what I've done with the room?"

"How is this possible?" Saial asked slowly. While it seemed fairly reasonable to assume that the demoness, who had created the entire mansion from nothing with ease could also alter the interior, the angel was at a loss as to understand how the demoness had managed to make a single room of the building _larger_ than the actual building itself.

She had never been able to keep very good track of directions like left and right as a Gatomon, but she was relatively certain that the bedroom the Tamers, Renamon, Guilmon and Terriermon occupied was the one closest to the library. Shouldn't it logically have been displaced by the expansion of the library? A horrible thought suddenly occurred to her. Were... Were they _dead?_ It would explain why they hadn't reacted to-

Raya wasn't altogether sure why Saial suddenly ran out of the room, with a panicked expression, but likely there was something she'd missed, and followed the angel out of the library, and upstairs.

Renamon wasn't altogether sure why Angewomon had suddenly entered their bedroom, and was looking around with a befuddled expression. "Nothing has changed..." Saial whispered, shocked beyond all belief. "How is that possible?!"

"Why would it?" Rika dryly pointed, unsure of why the angel found it strange that their bedroom looked the same today as it had yesterday, and the day before.

"How is what possible?" Raya quizzically asked, confused. Saial gave the demoness a blank look. If she was being deliberate obtuse in regards to the impossibility she'd managed with the downstairs library, there was no trace of it in LadyDevimon's tone or face. Terriermon and Guilmon decided that whatever was going on, was likely entertaining, so they turned their heads towards the arguing pair.

"Raya..." Saial slowly said, with amused mild exasperation, trying and failing to stifle a laugh. "Do you seriously mean to tell me that you see nothing unusual about a single room of the building being larger than the surrounding building?"

Guilmon, Rika, Henry, Renamon, Takato and Terriermon stared blankly at the angel, doubting strongly that they had heard her right. The saurian decided to go investigate it.

"Is _that _what this is about? Me making the library downstairs bigger?" Raya questioned, hanging on the last word. "I love that song by the way, y'know, _big and bigger, biggest dreamer_! Maybe we could visit one of those timelines sometime, and just have a good time?" She excitedly asked, oblivious to the bewildered looks she received from the group.

"Wh-what?" Saial stuttered. One moment they had been discussing interior design that doubled as a violation of the laws of physics, then the conversation had somehow turned to adress the demoness' taste in music, and subsequently some vacation plans?

"What?" Raya blankly answered.

Outside, Guilmon was looking at the outside of the house. The dinosaur scratched the back of his head. The outside of the house looked no different than it had when they first arrive. It was still the same as when they had arrived about two weeks ago, so what Angewomon had meant by the library being bigger eluded Guilmon, who decided to head back inside.

Figuring that there was no harm in seeing what Angewomon had talked about upstairs, Guilmon went into the library, and understood her point immediately. The place was enormous now, compared to before. Noticing the stair case, he decided to see just how far up it went, as it looked to be about seven floors, which was quickly proven correct, when he passed the floors, counting them as he went, reaching the end after a few minutes.

The floors were all the same, Guilmon noted; white endless voids containing books and bookcases, and little besides. Deciding to explore the third floor as a start, the dinosaur looked around bit, absently passing several bookcases, pausing when he came across a series of books on a nearby bookshelf to his left, holding Takato's name in the familiar DigiCode alphabet that had taken him a few months to learn, almost seventy-five years ago, though some had 'Matsuda' as his last name, with occasional ones using 'Wong', 'Nonaka', 'Makino', 'Akiyama', 'Orimoto', 'Damon', 'Yagami' and 'Motomiya' instead of either. Strangely, they also held some numbers that Guilmon understood to be timeline designations from the backings claiming such.

At least, he assumed that it said 'Wong', 'Nonaka', 'Damon' and 'Makino'. He had never been able to remember the difference between the 'N' and 'W' symbols...

Reaching it for a book had been simple enough for the saurian. However, he noted with mild annoyance that claws weren't exactly the best means available for turning book-pages.

Guilmon tensed at the mention of 'Megidramon' on a single page. Though it was over seventy years ago, the memories of that dark day were still clear in his memory. Suddenly, he heard footsteps from the staircase. As the sound held none of the subtle distinctions between the gaits of the others he'd become attuned to, yet sounded to be around the same weight as them, he decided it to be Koji.

"Hey, Koji." Guilmon greeted the navy-haired boy, who paused slightly. The dinosaur's back was turned, so how had he known that it was him? Had Guilmon smelled him? Koji decided that the dinosaur likely had done so.

"Hey, Guilmon," Koji answered, mildly weary, not interested in conversation at the moment, more interested in the sudden change of layout. The walls were a faint white, and there were scattered bookcases around, arranged in a perfect symmetrical pattern of numerous sets of six.

With nothing else of interest on this floor, Koji continued up the staircase to the fifth floor, which looked identical to the first, second, third and fourth. Walking into the fifth floor, he walked over to the third bookshelf of the first set from the doorway, taking a purple-backed book detailing him, though under the name 'Kouji Minamoto' with the additional designations of 'Universe eighty-nine, Timeline zero-to-fifty'.

Opening the book revealed the table of contents, and several surprising facts. Some of the timelines had a few pages dedicated to each, others only a single page, while timelines twenty-five and twenty-seven had twenty pages each devoted to them. Koji decided that the contents of the books didn't hold much interest for him at present, and returned to the third floor, as he had some questions for Guilmon regarding his human companions.

Guilmon paused when he heard Koji return from upstairs, and the dinosaur turned to face the immortal, briefly noting the slightly tense look in his eyes. "Guilmon, can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure," Guilmon shrugged, knowing all too well what he wanted to ask; indeed, it had long since become routine. Hopefully, this Koji would provide a variation on the questions he'd heard almost ad nauseum.

"It's about Takato, Rika and Henry," Koji began, giving Guilmon ample comfirmation, if any he'd needed, that this would be another of the same, tedious conversations.

"What?" The saurian asked, with a note of what Koji almost thought was boredom.

He ignored it, continuing his inquiries. "Well, over the few days I've been here, there's something that's been confusing me. What exactly do those three have together? I know that Henry's dating Takato, but it just seems like there's something between Takato and Rika."

Guilmon eyed him quizzically, wondering why Koji was asking him if it concerned those three, which Koji misinterpreted as not understanding what he was referring to, before shrugging that he had his reasons.

"Look, she's certainly not rude, but she's... I guess, distant and unemotional to a degree to everyone except him, Henry and her partner." Koji continued. Guilmon nodded, supposing that it might be a reasonable conclusion to arrive at, even if the reality was different. But if Koji had noticed the almost literally age-old attraction between his Tamer and Rika, how had the other mutual, currently inactive attractions among the six of them gone unnoticed to him?

"That's just how Rika is," Guilmon answered simply. He couldn't disagree with his assessment of her, though. In the human world they'd originally left many years prior, she had become a much warmer and kinder individual over the months and years. However, leaving for the Digital World, and beyond, hadn't helped much in that regard, with her sweet side becoming almost exclusively reserved for the five of them. "And besides, it's kinda obvious why there's an attraction between Takato and Rika."

The last part of Guilmon's sentence got Koji's absolute attention, and mild annoyance at the likely unintentional jab at his intelligence. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, we've been traveling together, just the six of us, for almost a hundred years, and, well..." Guilmon pointed out. Koji had little clue what Guilmon was trying to tell him, nor was he certain how to respond to the implications.

"Guilmon, what exactly are you saying?" Koji questioned.

"I'm sorry if I wasn't being obvious," Guilmon replied, more than a bit tired of having to explain this nearly every single time. "About twenty, forty and seventy years back, Takato and Rika were together for a few months, and two years on one occasion."

"'Twenty, forty and seventy years'?" Koji exclaimed. How old were these guys? He'd assumed them to be in their late teens like himself, but this was incredible! Seventy years!? How could they possibly have stayed together that long? "It never lasts between them?"

Guilmon shook his head slowly. "Never, no matter which two or three of us it is."

Koji froze. Had... Had Guilmon just said what he thought that the dinosaur had? He couldn't have, could he? "Three?" Koji exclaimed, bewildered at how it was even possible for three people to be together like that? The library being bigger inside than out had been surprising, but this, this was downright mindboggling!

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Guilmon curiously asked, wondering why he suddenly seemed and sounded confused.

"Three people?" Koji asked, skeptical at the concept. Guilmon wasn't sure why his tone suddenly sounded angry. "How would that even work?"

"It doesn't," Guilmon answered softly. "It didn't the first time for us, not the second and not the third either, any two or three..."

Koji froze at a single word of his sentence, his eyes widening. "Wha-what? What do you mean by, 'us'?" He gaped at the confused saurian. Then, a highly unusual, almost repulsive thought crossed his mind. "Guilmon..." He spoke slowly. "Are you saying... That _you've _dated Rika or Takato or Henry too?!"

Much to his shock, Guilmon nodded briefly. Koji really hoped that he was being sarcastic. He didn't think of Digimon as any less alive or real than humans, but there was just something about the dinosaur doing those sorts of thing with them that deeply unsettled him. "Any one or two of them, really." Guilmon answered casually. "Me and Takato and Rika, me and Renamon and Terriermon, any arrangement you can think of-"

"Just... Please stop talking..." Koji cut in, feeling faintly nauseaous as it was, trying not to think about the physical mechanics of those relationships, deciding instead to change the subject. "So you guys have lived for almost a century, huh? Sounds... Boring, to be honest..." Koji said. Loath as he was to admit it, he sometimes wanted nothing more than to return home, and be mortal. He'd been the same physical age for several years now.

"Maybe it would be boring to you, but not to me," Guilmon smiled wistfully, with a note of resigned-yet-optimistic sadness to his tone. "Believe it or not, I actually want to keep on living."

"Why?" Koji questioned. He didn't think it was healthy, but sometimes he considered ending his own life; after all, what was there for the navy-haired male in the Digital World? No family, no friends, no real loyalty to anyone in particular...

"Well, I've got them with me," Guilmon reasoned. "They're all the company I really need."

"I don't believe it," Koji exclaimed in shock. "You're really telling me that everything's perfect as long as you've got Takato, Rika, Henry, Terriermon and Renamon?"

"Well, I can't really say it's been perfect," Guilmon conceded. "There's been some hard times along the way. About three or four decades back, there was a few months where I didn't talk to Renamon, or maybe Rika, at all, but it's been pretty good, all things considered."

"Incredible..." Koji whispered, in incredulity. "I've been alive for twenty long years, drifting aimlessly, and I see no point in living anymore. You six, however, have been doing the same thing for almost a hundred, and you seriously want to keep going?"

"Yeah," Guilmon answered.

"I don't get it," Koji groused. "What is so great about living for so long?"

"Well, we have time enough to do whatever we need to," Guilmon rationalized. "And honestly, I don't think that any of us would mind spending a few hundred years together. I mean, we've done nearly a hundred already; what's a few hundred more?"

Koji stared speechless at the saurian, wondering whether he really meant that. No matter how he approached the matter, he couldn't view that sort of long-term commitment as anything but ultimately wearying. "Do you really think that, Guilmon?" Renamon's soft voice called out to them from the staircase. She smiled softly at them, with an inscrutable look in her eyes that Koji didn't quite understand what meant, while Guilmon understood it perfectly. "Because I can't lie to, any of you, Guilmon; to me, the endless years are nothing but a burden, or a curse."

Guilmon couldn't help but agree with the kitsune somewhat. Indeed, there had been times, many times, once almost a decade, where he'd felt similarly about it, but despite how wearying it would get, and had already been, he still liked to think that immortality had it's merits. "I guess they could be."

Renamon leaned back against the wall, looking directly at Guilmon, ignoring Koji. "I'm honestly more surprised that you _don't _consider them that." Renamon softly spoke to Guilmon, who simply looked back. It had been like this ever since they left, he mused.

One or two of them would take a philosophical standpoint in favor of embracing immortality, one or two others would the opposite standpoint and whoever was left would generally not concern themselves with the philosophical implications, deciding instead to simply live their lives as best they could. Every few years or so, someone would occasionally change their minds on the matter, with the last few years having Rika and Terriermon as the ones against it, himself and Henry for it, and Takato and Renamon more interested in simply living.

"How could you possibly want to live for as long as we have, and even longer?" Renamon questioned, eyeing him curiously. "Does death scare you that much?"

Koji mused that Guilmon being scared of dying was likely the explanation, even if only partially, for why he wanted to keep on living. "It kinda does." Guilmon admitted. "But that's not really why I wanna keep going."

Renamon's stare turned quizzical. "Then, why do you, exactly?"

Guilmon paused, trying to think of a way to phrase his reply. "I guess I just don't want to say goodbye to you guys..."

"I don't want that either," Renamon whispered, her gaze softening before turning melancholic. "What sort of sad things has immortality made of us?" Renamon whispered, almost so quietly that Guilmon doubted that he would have heard her, if not for the absolute silence in the library. Koji could have sworn that she'd said _something,_ but he couldn't hear what. "We six don't stay together just because we want to, but also because we're too frightened to live separately..."

Guilmon looked down, deciding it likely that the kitsune was right. "Yeah... On that cheerful note, if you guys want me for anything, I'll be upstairs," Guilmon softly told them, reverting to a form familiar to both Koji and Renamon.

The new Digimon had skin a faintly lighter shade of red than Guilmon, and stood on four short stubby legs. His ears were largely the same length as before, while his tail had shortened and gained a black portion that spanned more than a fourth of its length. He looked up at the confused Koji and mildly amused Renamon with a wide smile and an innocent look in his golden eyes.

"What just happened?!" Koji exclaimed. The newly formed Gigimon eyed him mock-quizzically. "Why did he just revert to that form?"

"I'm called 'Gigimon' in this form," The miniature saurian informed him in a more high-pitched voice than Koji normally associated with him. "And it's because I'm adorable."

Koji blinked at the vague justification for the action. He couldn't pretend it wasn't true, but it still seemed weird to do it on a whim. Renamon, however, facepalmed, leaning her head back slightly, laughing jubilantly. "Really, Gigimon? How long has it been? Twenty years?"

"Pretty much," Gigimon simply answered, before merrily skipping towards the staircase, up the stairs.

"Has... Has this happened before?" Koji tentatively asked.

"Yes," Renamon answered, smiling. "Every few month about thirty years back, Guilmon would spend as much time as he could in that form, until some battle came along."

* * *

**Alright, I think I've run the gamut of immortality Tropes (Who Wants To Live Forever / Living Forever Is Awesome / Eternal Love) with this chapter. **

**Next chapter, we'll get some new residents, Davis/Veemon/Kari/Gatomon/TK/Patamon or Takuya/Zoe/JP/Tommy, whoever would be preferred or more popular.**

**As always, if you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review.**


	7. Day 17 of 80

**Review Responses**

Guest 1) **Right, one vote for D/K/TK/V/P/G. Anything else you'll like to ask? Because it's no problem whatsoever. You can say whatever you wish, provided I have the exclusive right to smack you upside your head for it. **

Guest 2) **Yeah, well, that's mainly the problem I have with romance novels like Twilight; everything doesn't revolve around the two, and to expect it to is implausible... Then again, what in this story is plausible? Really? What about them annoys you?**

Keeper of Worlds) **And another vote for D/K/TK/V/P/G. Meee too. What? The simple fact that I write the story, doesn't guarantee that I know any more about what happens next than you guys do.**

Deadman Infinite) ... **Is there a parking lot near where you live? Because simply for that Twilight/Justin Bieber bull####, your ass is mine. And I won't be gentle. NC17... If there isn't, regardless, kindly go #### yourself!**

* * *

_Seraphimon's Castle, Forest Kingdom_

"Thank you all for coming," Seraphimon spoke, adressing three humans and three Digimon. One of the humans was male with very messy hair a strong redwood shade, wearing a pair of goggles, a red-and-blue fur-collared jacket with a golden flame-like pattern, grey pants, white-and-orange shoes, and sandy-yellow gloves. Beside him was a small blue-skinned red-eyed creature, with sharp white claws on its hands and feet. Both of their expressions were largely level and unemotional.

To their left stood a young brown-haired girl and a small white-furred cat, both sporting somewhat sullen expressions. The girl wore a pink-and-white sleeveless shirt, the pink portion covering her upper torso and neck while the white portion covered her lower torso and abdomen, along with a pink pair of long fingerless gloves covering nearly her whole arms, yellow shorts, ankle-length socks and pink-and-white shoes of a similar design as the male. The cat wore little other than a pair of lime-green gloves each adorned with three large claws and a pair of orange stripes, soft in both coloration and design. Oddly, the girl wore a green, simply designed jacket as a makeshift cloak, rather than wear it normally, leaving the garment to hang off her shoulders.

Beside her stood another male, wearing a turquoise shirt with long yellow sleeves, along with gray pants and a white hat covering most of his dark-golden hair. On his shoulder was a small orange, azure-eyed guinea pig-like creature, it's long ears doubling as wings.

"Look, just... Dispense with the pleasantries, _Lord_ Seraphimon," Kari drawled. "Tell us who you want us to delete, and where they are. We'll handle the rest. ENIAC forbid that you sully your own hands with this sort of thing..."

Neither Davis, TK or Seraphimon reacted particularly to her jab at him, as it was nothing they weren't used to. Indeed, even if the angel could argue that she was altogether wrong, he still didn't have any authority to reprimand her, as she and her little group wasn't angels under his employ, or even technically affliated with either him, Ophanimon or Cherubimon. They were simply, relatively speaking, the Digidestined of this human world, chosen by the Sovereign, as Ophanimon had chosen the Takuya Kanbara, Koji Minamoto, Zoe Orimoto, JP Shibayama, Tommy Himi and Kouichi Kimura of this human world, who had offered their services to them, and fight the enemies they couldn't.

"Sadly, your latest assignment is not as simple as such," Seraphimon chuckled almost imperceptibly.

"An infiltration mission, then," TK decided. It had been a while since the last one, about two years by his estimate.

"Sadly, the situation is more elaborate than that, I am afraid," Seraphimon revealed, earning curious looks from the group. If it was neither a battle to be fought or an infiltration mission, then what was it? "Some time ago, an Angewomon... I suppose that the best term for it is that she went turncoat on us."

"And you want us to find her, and kill her. Got it," Davis replied immediately.

"Once more, you are too hasty to make your judgements, Davis Motomiya," Seraphimon sternly told the boy. "I have told you this before; leaping into a situation without understanding it fully cannot help anyone."

"Remember your position, Seraphimon," Veemon retorted. "We don't take our orders from you, so don't give us lectures. Now will you give us the full details?"

Seraphimon glared at her. Normally, he would have assigned a punishment for such insubordination, but the small dragon was infuriatingly right; as the strongest angels aside from himself, Ophanimon and Cherubimon were the Ultimate-level MagnaAngemon and Angewomon, whether he liked it or not, the overwhelming power of their partners was too important an asset to let go of.

"Your current assignment involves an Angewomon as I have mentioned, along with the Tamers, Rika Nonaka, Henry Wong and Takato Matsuki, of another world, the Legendary Warrior of Light, and lastly, a LadyDevimon. Now I cannot stress enough that this assignment should be done with minimal amounts of fighting, as they possess more power. Your task is simply to objectively determine whether the situation is or could prove hazardous to the Digital World." Seraphimon explained.

The group nodded dismissively, not particularly surprised to learn of being from other universes being present. "That won't be happening." TK responded with a minute growl. "If a LadyDevimon is involved, then we'll kill it."

"With all due respect, I cannot recommend that, as this particular LadyDevimon has, from what we have already been able to determine, not proven to be particularly malicious," Seraphimon told the group.

"Doesn't matter," TK shot back, skeptical at his assertion. "If there's a LadyDevimon around, we'll have to track it down, and delete it, before it hurts anyone else."

"I... I see," Seraphimon said with a faint tremble in his voice, mildly taken aback at his ferocity. His hatred for demonic Digimon was well-known amongst the Great Angels and the Sovereign, but after almost fifty years, he _still _harbored such feelings? Then again, Seraphimon mused that it was understandable...

"They reside in a mansion in the desert near Steel City," Seraphimon finished, and the Digidestined and Gatomon nodded, before leaving the hall. About ten minutes of walking later, they were outside at the wooden staircase connecting Seraphimon's crystalline castle with the ground below.

After the Rookie-level had walked a distance down the staircase, Veemon looked at his Partner, who smirked back, pulling out his Digivice, pressing a button on it. The pseudo-draconic being's body lit up with golden energy. "Veemon Warp-Digivolve tooo! IMPERIALDRAMON!" They heard him declare loudly. Soon, the enormous black dragon stood before the group. Soon, the other five were within the familiar azure energy-ball.

About ten minutes passed before they had passed Steel City, and Imperialdramon descended in the desert, reverting to Veemon once they had gotten off.

The group took a brief look around. It was a standard arid wasteland, in every sense of the word, as there was dried-up ground, weeds and lifeless plants, and some scattered rock-formations some distances away. Strangely, there was no cactuses to be found.

To the far north, Davis spotted a jet-black colored mansion, which he decided to be their destination.

"Before we go in, we better be prepared. So, Veemon, you'll Digivolve into Paildramon, while Gatomon and Patamon will likewise turn into Angewomon and Seraphimon. In case of a fight, Paildramon will handle close-quarters combat, while Seraphimon will handle any ranged combat, and Angewomon will help out anyone who needs it. Any objections to that plan?" Davis asked to the others, who simply nodded, while Kari smiled to them. His leadership and tactical skills had improved dramatically over the twenty or so years they had traveled together. Not, she bitterly noted, that there was much need for a leader anymore. Not when it was just the three of them.

...

...

...

In a sunlit spot on the front porch, Gigimon was resting, his eyes closed and his face content. The silence of the area was disrupted when he heard people walking towards the mansion.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Davis, Paildramon, TK, Seraphimon, Kari and Angewomon wandering towards the building, some of them scowling while others had more level expressions. Hurriedly, he scurried back inside to inform everyone that there was new company arriving.

TK wasn't sure what that Guilmon-like creature had been, but it didn't matter much. Once they arrived at the door, Davis turned around to look at them. "This is it, guys... Once we go in there, we'll have no idea what to expect."

"We know that," Kari softly told him. "And we're prepared for that. Are you?"

"NO DOUBT!" He exclaimed, slamming the doors open, seeing LadyDevimon standing in a scarcely-designed hallway with navy walls.

"Oh. Hello," She tentatively greeted the Group with a faint smile, a bit annoyed that they had just barged in like that. She didn't mind company, but it was getting a bit cramped; perhaps she should construct additional rooms... "Can I help you at all?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," TK responded with a slight growl in his voice, walking past Davis towards the demoness. "First, you can tell us why you've brainwished all these innocent souls. And then, you can do me the favor of dying!"

"P-pardon?" LadyDevimon quizzically asked, while the other five stared warily at TK. Seraphimon hadn't said anything about brainwishing, so how had TK arrived at that conclusion? "Brainwashed? I-I don't-"

"Don't give us that!" TK angrily cut her off. "Takato, Rika, Henry, Guilmon, Renamon, Terriermon, Koji and that Angewomon! You've brainwashed them all to stay here?"

"You _do_ realize that I don't have any psychic powers, right?" LadyDevimon queried with a confused expression, eyeing the boy with mild wariness. TK glared at the demoness. Was lies really all she was good for? Even if she didn't have any telepathy, those wretched Demon Lords could easily have given it to her, just so she could trap them here. "And, who, exactly, told you that I've brainwished everyone living here?"

"No-one," Davis answered, putting his right hand on TK's shoulder. "So calm down, and let's do what we came here for?"

LadyDevimon cocked her head in curiosity, while TK turned around, glaring at the goggle-clad boy. "I will, by slaying her,"

"Well, that was uncalled for," LadyDevimon sweat-dropped.

"And nor will it happen," A voice called out to them, both male and female, soft and stern. The Digidestined and demoness looked around for the source of the utterance, finding it when Gallantmon Crimson Mode walked down the staircase from upstairs. "We do not care why you are here, but know that you will not harm anyone here, even her."

"I don't care," TK growled. "Seraphimon, destroy her now!"

"N-no, I won't," Seraphimon nervously told his partner. Normally he wouldn't hesitate to attack a LadyDevimon, but this one had done nothing to harm them.

"WHAT!?" TK roared at the angel, who took a cautious step back. "How dare you?! Do you realize what could happen if we let her live?!"

"I do, and I don't care about saving her, TK!" Seraphimon yelled back. "I care about saving you!"

"TK, what in ENIAC's name have you done to yourself?" Davis whispered, horrified, looking at the trembling and seething male. "And what have _we _let happen...?"

"This... This is more than just TK's loathing for dark and demonic Digimon like me," LadyDevimon whispered in shock. Davis, Paildramon, Angewomon, Kari and Seraphimon shared soft, seemingly pained looks while TK glared at her. "Something happened, didn't it?"

"Yes..." Kari softly answered, visibly holding back tears. "Please... I don't want to think about..."

"For what little it's worth, you have my sympathies," LadyDevimon softly told her, her expression joyless.

"Thank you..." Kari whispered, while TK looked at her with incredulity, for accepting the feigned pleasantries of someone so wicked so easily.

Davis decided to relieve the tense atmosphere, as it did nothing to help them at the moment. "Look, we were sent here by Seraphimon to determine some things. Could we stay here for a while?" He asked to Gallantmon Crimson Mode and LadyDevimon.

"Certainly," LadyDevimon smiled. "However, me and Angewomon will only be staying for about two months. After that, you'll have to ask the new owners whether you can stay for longer." The demoness told Davis, who nodded quickly, while Gallantmon Crimson Mode gave her a bewildered look. Had she really meant that back then? "Now, since you will be staying for a while, you'll need your own rooms." LadyDevimon told them.

"The further away from you, the better," TK muttered. Gallantmon Crimson Mode blinked when the other five in TK's group barely reacted to that comment. Was this normal for him?

"The funny thing is, I probably should be more annoyed by that," LadyDevimon replied. "But on the other hand, you're right to be cautious. Follow me, if you will." With that, the demoness turned around, walking over to the staircase. The Digidestined and their partners tentatively and nonverbally agreed to follow her up the staircase,, Seraphimon reverting to Patamon to do so, while Gallantmon Crimson Mode separated into Takato, Rika, Guilmon and Renamon, who went into the library.

With nothing more interesting to do, Paildramon counted the steps of the narrow staircase, arriving at an odd twenty-three. Once they were at the first floor, instead of the demoness walking into the floor and giving them a bedroom, she placed a hand on the wall barring further passage but to the left, which dissolved, transmuted into a further set of steps, leading upwards, surprising the group greatly, as there had only been two stories visible from the outside. "Come along now." She smiled at them, wandering upstairs.

After a few seconds, the other six continued their strides upwards, soon arriving at an unusual hallway. In height, it seemed about four or five meters, and in width, barely one meter. Indeed, Paildramon had to de-Digivolve to Veemon to fit. The only thing other than navy-purple walls was a pair of dark-brown doors. Reluctantly, Veemon opened one of the doors, and was surprised greatly by what was inside.

He'd expected something gruesome, befitting of a demon like her, like a blood-soaked living room, or even something as low-key as a brick wall behind the door, but instead, there was a very large bedroom, large enough to hold even him in his Imperialdramon form and still have enough room for everyone else, with several beds covered in white sheets and a pair of pillows each.

"How can something like this exist?" Kari whispered, shocked and a bit horrified as well. Odd geometries she was used to, but how could something be bigger on the inside? It defied all logic the girl knew of, and yet it existed with blatant disregard for the impossibility.

"Saial asked that too, and I didn't quite understand why," LadyDevimon mused. "How can something like what exist?"

The group looked blankly at the demoness, unsure of whether she was joking. And who was she referring to with, 'Saial', Gatomon wondered. "First, who's 'Saial', and you seriously see nothing wrong with a room being bigger inside than out?"

"Saial is the name of the Angewomon residing here, and no, why would I?" LadyDevimon answered.

"Name?!" Angewomon and Patamon exclaimed in shock. This Angewomon had taken a personal name?! Just what sort of weirdo was she? Davis, TK and Kari stared blankly at her. Digimon had names ending in 'mon', so why did she think that this Angewomon was called Saial? "I've never met a Digimon who took a personal name before..." Angewomon whispered in awe. Seeing the confused expressions of Davis, Veemon, TK and Kari, she decided that some clarification was in order. "Some Digimon _do_ take personal names, other than species name. But it's not really a common practice. It's actually nearly unheard of, and mostly reserved for extreme eccentrics."

"Eccentric?" LadyDevimon mulled it over. "Well, I've been called worse." She chuckled.

"Does that mean that you have a name of your own?" Davis tentatively asked, and received a bright grin from the demoness.

"You can call me Raya, or LadyDevimon. Or any combinations of the two that might be fun. Raya the LadyDevimon, LadyRayamon... I like Raya the LadyDevimon, let's go with that!" She excitedly declared, trailing off into utter nonsense, while the other six stared in befuddlement.

"Okay, I'm getting the distinct impression that you're insane," TK drawled. In response, LadyDevimon froze, approached his face closer than he was comfortable with, and gave him a wide grin that didn't quite seem happy.

"Yeah," She laughed. "Pretty much me in a nutshell. Insane in the membrane, that's me alright!" Gatomon promptly pointed out that she didn't have membranes and was interrupted by the demoness exclaiming 'Semantics!'.

"Enjoy your stay," Raya smiled as she walked downstairs, deciding to get some more sleep.

"That was kinda weird," Veemon and Kari muttered in unison.

"Well, she seemed friendly enough," Davis added, earning the goggle-head an angry look from TK.

"I don't believe this," TK shook his head. "We should've killed her immediately; it's a freaking LadyDevimon!"

"I know, TK," Davis retorted. "But we didn't come here to fight anyone. Let's just see whether the people gathered here pose a danger, and leave once we know enough to make a decision."

...

...

...

Back at Seraphimon's Castle, the three angels watched with mild interest the argument of the three Digidestined. "The deed is done..." Seraphimon stated.

"Are you both certain this was wise?" Cherubimon inquired.

"Regardless, now we must put our faith in them." Ophanimon declared.

* * *

**Okay, seriously!_ How do they fly on Imperialdramon?! He's not built for that, there's nothing behind the laser, a tail is not a comfortable place to stand, it's not the wings- THERE'S NO PLACE ON THAT DAMN DRAGON WHERE THEY COULD POSSIBLY BE! HE'S LITERALLY ALL CURVATURE, AND NO FLAT GROUND!_**

**Minor griping aside, here's day 17's notes.**

**1) Gallantmon and Sakuyamon have Jogressed together to form Gallant Crimson Mode in some video-games, so it's not altogether impossible.**


	8. Day 18 of 80

**Review Responses**

The Keeper of Worlds) **I'M HAPPY THAT YOU THINK SO!**

Guest 01) **Knight Templar, he certainly is. However, he's also a Jerkass/mild Strawman With A Point in that while Raya is strongly Affably Evil, she's also evil, by our standards. For comfirmation of the fact, look to how it all started. Or to Windward, if you would prefer that.**

RideItLikeYouStoleIt) **Might I recommend starting with Tamers? Ask, and ye shan't receive... Really? Out of... Tamers/partners... carry the Koj****i... Add the Digidestined/partners, and subtract my punctured lung ... Multiply by Saial/Raya... 15 characters, your favorite is the Affably-Evil Cloudcuckoolander? It's understandable.**

**Maybe I shouldn't be writing the chapters concurrently... **

* * *

_The Mansion, Bedroom of the Digidestined. _

In a bed by the far wall of the room lay TK, who eyed the other five, sleeping in beds a distance away with something akin to exasperation and annoyance. Four beds away, in the row by the other wall by the door was Davis and Veemon, snoring loudly, entirely unconcerned with the hazardous situation, TK noted with mild consternation.

Five and six beds away on the same row as himself respectively rested Kari and Gatomon. Flitting around the bedroom was Patamon. _"What kind of mess have they gotten me into this time?" _TK wondered. Didn't they realize how dangerous that LadyDevimon was? If he and Patamon hadn't watched over them all night, they could've been killed!

Slowly, Veemon started to stir, followed by Davis two minutes later, then Gatomon ten minutes later and lastly, Kari after five minutes. "So, what's the plan?" Kari tentatively asked, unsure of what else to say or ask.

"The logical, and morally right, thing to do would be to kill her, and leave," TK drawled.

"TK, you know that's not why we came here," Davis shot back.

"It's what we should do," TK exclaimed, startling Gatomon with his sudden change of tone. "How many? How many innocent Digimon do you really think that LadyDevimon has killed? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands? Why won't you just let her die already?!"

"TK, you know as well as we do that our assignment here was to survey the situation, not start a fight," Davis responded, apologetically. "And secondly, if we attack her unprovoked, wouldn't that make us worse than her?"

"I can't believe you!" TK shouted in frustration. "Whose side are you on, mine or hers?!"

"Yours, TK," Kari softly answered, greatly surprised that he would even ask after all this time. "Always yours..."

"Thank you, Kari... I really appreciate that..." TK said quietly. "So what is the plan? Just go around and ask everyone what they plan to do?"

"Sounds like a plan, since we have no better ones," Davis answered. TK stared disbelievingly at him, wondering whether he was serious.

...

...

...

Shortly afterwards, Kari entered the fourth floor of the left library, where Takato was reading a purple-bound book. Takato was a bit alarmed at the brunette's suddenly tense expression, but he decided that it might be best to leave it to Davis or TK.

Kari cringed inwardly. Back in their world, Takato had been a close friend, and seeing him, any version of him, was never easy for her to cope with, as it only reminded her of times past and lost friends... "Can we talk?" The brunette asked quietly, sniffing slightly, holding back tears.

Takato wasn't sure why this Kari seemed so emotional, but surmised that was either due to her having known the Takato of her world, or it simply being her personality. "Of course. What about?"

"Why do you feel so comfortable about living with that LadyDevimon?" Kari asked slowly. "Don't you realize that she's evil?"

"I do..." Takato conceded after a pause. "I suppose that I've been overlooking that, mainly because I'm not really interested in fighting anymore. And besides, she's been nothing but friendly and polite."

Kari couldn't argue with the latter argument, as it was true. Indeed, compared to literally every other Myotismon, DemiDevimon, Devimon, LadyDevimon, NeoDevimon, Mummymon and Arukenimon she had met over the years, her demeanor was more reminiscent of GranDracmon's than a demon's. She even reminded the girl of that Mummymon that Oikawa had created with his own DNA over twenty years prior. "But, do you really think that she hasn't killed any innocent Digimon? Or will you just tell me that it doesn't matter because you haven't seen her do it?"

Takato gave a simple sigh in exasperation, or something similar to it. It wasn't that he disagreed with Kari, but he didn't much like the idea of attacking someone unprovoked. Though, he wondered what exactly had happened to make Kari so bitter and angry; even Rika at her worst hadn't been quite that bad off... "You're right, Kari, and I can't really argue otherwise."

"Then..." Kari whispered. "Stay out of our way, while we kill her."

Takato gave an apologetic look. "No, I won't. I'm not going to let you kill a Digimon in cold blood, no matter the circumstances."

"Takato, it's necessary!" Kari angrily shot back. "Or would you rather prefer that she kills more Digimon first? Or Henry, or Guilmon, or Rika, or Terriermon or Renamon?"

Takato glared at her for the latter question. "We've been here for over two weeks, and none of us are dead. She's had ample opportunity to kill us if she wanted."

"Look, let's just drop it, we're not going to reach an agreement on this," Kari grumbled. "Actually, there's something else I wanted to talk you about..." She continued, her tone softening, and gaining a hint of discomfort, even outright pain.

"What is it?" Takato quietly asked. Kari tensed visibly, wondering if she even should tell him this. True, it wasn't Takato as she remembered him best, but it was still Takato. She leaned back against the wall, and let herself fall to the floor.

"I'm immortal," Kari whispered almost imperceptibly. Takato responded with a surprised look, figuring that it made some strange sense for immortal versions of the Digidestined to arrive here; birds of a feather flocked together, or so he remembered the expression. Kari supposed that she couldn't fault him for not quite understanding the concept. "I've looked this way, the same damn way, for about twenty years..."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Takato said, sitting down beside her. "Really, I know what that's like..."

"You do?" Kari responded, more than a bit surprised. If he was immortal, that likely meant that the Henry and Rika of his group were as well. Had something like... _That... _happened to them too? "So, how long've you been alive, then?"

"About a hundred years," Takato replied indifferently, honestly not caring about a trivial detail like how long he'd been alive. Kari stared incredulously at him. A hundred years?! It was... It was mindboggling! She couldn't imagine being herself being alive that long, couldn't imagine _wanting_ to be alive that long.

"H-ho-how?!" Kari stammered, while Takato sighed inwardly at earning the same reaction from Koji as Kari was now giving him. "How could you possibly keep going after so long?!"

Takato gave no other response than a soft, weary smile. "I've had my friends with me." Kari gaped in incredulity. Simply _that _couldn't be how he'd weathered all those years, could it?

A hundred years... Twelve-hundred months... Over five-thousand weeks... Over thirtysix-thousand days... Over forty million minutes... More than three _billion _seconds...

Takato could seriously keep going after so long, just because he'd had them with him along the way?! It was unreal to think about. "It's not fair..." Kari whispered, so quietly that Takato almost didn't hear her. "Immortality holds nothing but weariness for me, Gatomon, TK, Patamon, Davis and Veemon. And you're seriously telling me... That you _want _to keep on living?"

"I'm sorry, but yes..." Takato replied glumly. The two spent a few minutes in awkward silence, Kari trying to think of other questions for him.

"Takato, is... Is it really normal to feel so bored and tired of living, after only twenty years?" Kari apprehensively asked. Takato winced inwardly, as he couldn't pretend that those feelings were unknown to him. Indeed, he even felt that way every once in a while.

"... It happens in several cases, I'll say that much," Takato answered, after a short pause.

"I have another question for you," Kari slowly asked, musing that she really shouldn't be so open with him, as this wasn't the same Takato who had been a friend and confidante so long ago; that Takato was long dead... "Look, I feel silly for asking this, but have you ever been in love with Henry and... Rika? At the same time, I mean?"

Takato sighed inwardly. While immortality had its benefits, it also had its downsides, and this, having the same basic conversation near-endlessly, was one of them. "More often than you realize..."

His response surprised Kari a bit. Though she knew it to be an awful notion to think of, she just couldn't think of anything about the red-head that would make her good girlfriend-material for someone like Takato, but she supposed that he knew a sweeter side of Rika than she did.

"And how did you guys resolve that love-triangle?" Kari inquired, her voice laced with a hint of urgency. "Who did you get together with?"

Much to Kari's confusion, Takato gave her an unreadable look. "More than once, I got together with both of them, but that's likely not the answer you wanted..."

"B-Both of them?!" Kari stammered, her eyes wide with shock. "I'm sorry, but that's... That's just _sick_, Takato..."

"Maybe it is," Takato conceded, shrugging his shoulders, his tone making it apparent that her objections wouldn't have much influence on the matter.

"How could something like that even work?!" Kari asked, visibly disturbed at the notion.

"It never does..." Takato wistfully answered. It wasn't until then that Kari understood the reality of the situation.

"It... It never lasts between you guys?" Kari whispered, concerned for the boy.

"Never," Takato affirmed, his tone stern. "Not between any of us..."

"And you _still _want to stay alive?!" Kari exclaimed, her voice thick with disbelief.

"Yeah, I do," Takato answered simply.

"Why?" Kari demanded.

"Because to me, Guilmon, Henry, Rika, Terriermon and Renamon... They're worth living for..." Takato softly told her. Kari couldn't help but smile, as it was the sweetest thing she'd heard in a long while...

Since their endless vigil began, in fact...

"Wow..." Kari murmured. "If only I had someone like that..."

"You do," Takato responded, wondering why she needed him to point it out to her. Kari promptly gave him a befuddled look. "Gatomon, TK, Patamon, Davis and Veemon? Aren't they important to you?"

Kari sighed. "They are, but... We're barely friends anymore, since TK went off the deep end... It's not fair..." At the point, Kari lost what little composure she retained, and began crying, much to Takato's surprise and discomfort, as he had absolutely no clue what to say to girls in these situations. "What else do I have to do, how much more do I have to sacrifice, to get the same sort of bond with them, as you have with your group?!" She tearfully demanded.

"No, Kari, it _isn't _fair, and I can't say it is..." Takato whispered softly. "But, look, it will get better, soon..."

"When is 'soon'?" Kari sniffled, her voice coarse. Wasn't twenty years enough time for Takato's vague, 'soon'?

...

...

...

Two floors up, Davis, Veemon and Angewomon was deeply engrossed in their own discussion. "We'll keep that to ourselves, if you don't mind..." Davis glumly told the angel, who nodded. It wasn't as though it was something that particularly concerned her, she mused.

"I suppose that to be reasonable," Saial conceded, though she would have liked to know what had caused this TK Takaishi to stray and sour like he had...

"One final question, though," Veemon added to the intrigued angel. "What exactly is the connection between you and... Raya?"

"That particular story spans almost sixty years of history, and takes place along a long and winding road," Saial responded, her voice gaining a strong sense of nostalgia with each word. "Yes, a long and winding road indeed..."

"I lied," Veemon grinned sheepishly. "I have another question."

"Ask away to your heart's content," Saial smiled brightly. "I shall do my best to answer."

"Do you really love that LadyDevimon?" Veemon apprehensively asked. Saial's smile dropped; she couldn't exactly fault the small blue creature for asking, but it still wasn't a question she much appreciated.

"I... I cannot say that I do not," Saial reluctantly admitted.

"How did that happen?!" Veemon exclaimed.

"The heart wants what it wants," Saial simply answered. "You may as well ask why we are alive. Were you to give me a thousand years to ponder the matter, perhaps I might have an answer, perhaps not..."

"Yeah," Veemon softly murmured. He could only agree with the angel's sentiment. Assuming the discussion to be over as Veemon and Davis went upstairs, Saial returned to her book, 'Izumi Orimoto: Earth-two-hundred and forty-seven, timelines five-hundred-through-five hundred and fifty'.

Like that 'Earth-Zero' book she hadn't been able to find since the second day, Izumi was listed as having a Unified Spirit Evolution in about twelve of the thirty of the book's alleged timelines she'd read so far, though here it was interchangeably TycoonSilphymon, the destructive force of a hurricane incarnate, and HurricaneKazemon, who had all wind on her side.

...

...

...

Currently, Olegmon was watching the fighting from his ship with more than slightly displeasure. What was supposed to have been a routine raid of a desolate village in the Gold Land had been complicated greatly by some powerful upstarts.

One was a tall man in red, black and golden armor, who had announced himself as Aldamon, and was currently flying around and flinging fireballs at the ocean, engaged in combat with seven of his MarineDevimon, who deftly avoided his attacks.

Another was a small bear made of ice, clad in green boots and body-armor, who had declared him to be Kumamon, standing somewhat unsteadily and fighting three of his Depthmon to a standstill, launching snowballs from his grenade launcher.

On a nearby rock-formation, a purple-and-bronze-plated eyeless beetle of some variety, was facing off with about ten Scorpiomon, shooting lightning-blasts at them.

Behind him, he heard a slight creaking of the floorboard, indicating a visitor. He turned around to face the intruder, and was met with an unusual sight.

The intruder was visibly female, and stood at an impressive height, considering her slender build, as well as being clad entirely in white fabric, leaving not a spot of skin revealed. Unlike the remaining body, her mouth, nose and chin was coated in purple fabric, and her eyes bright blue.

She didn't look like much, Olegmon decided, but he knew well that looks could be deceiving, and decided to test the stranger.

"DUAL TOMAHAWK!" Olegmon roared, and flung his golden axes at the armor-clad person one after the other. Zoe eyed them disinterestedly, deflecting them with no particular difficulty, sending them into the ocean, where they made an audible splash. "Well, now this should prove amusing!" He declared boisterously, charging at her.

Zoe briefly wondered why everyone decided to fight rather than leave peacefully, as he swung his clenched fists at her.

Olegmon stared in shock when the armored female blocked his fists with her hands, with seemingly no damage sustained and no visible discomfort, which he knew to be impossible. He immediately realized why that was, when he felt a gust of wind emanating from her hands, less like it was being projected directly at him, and more like it was being projected outwards in all directions.

"I don't suppose you would be open to reasoned discourse?" Olegmon muttered half-heartedly.

"Talk all you want. I'll turn to more solid arguments," TycoonSilphymon succintly informed him, tightening her grip on his fists, flinging the golden-clad Digimon up, then down into the floorboard, cracking it slightly, followed by another turn up, down and further damaged floorboard, Olegmon groaning in pain all the while. Lastly, she swung around with him in her grasp, throwing him into the mast.

Olegmon groaned loudly, as he got up to face his opponent. "That's quite some strength you have," He chuckled. "However, you have no finesse to go with that formidable strength, do you?"

"No, but I don't need any either to beat you," TycoonSilphymon boasted. Before Olegmon couldn't react in the slightest, she was in front of him, delivering a flurry of punches to his exposed flesh. The gold-plated Digimon promptly collapsed, his feet dissolving into data.

"Well," Olegmon said calmly with a faint smile on his face, though his breathing was heavy, surprising Zoe. "If this is the fate that was intended for me, then... Dammit, you... That was very good indeed..." Zoe watched with shock and disbelief as his body dispersed into data, reforming into an egg, shooting off towards the horizon.

He had died without any sign of fear or discomfort, Zoe mused. Most of the Digimon they fought cursed their fates, either dying screaming, or struggling to live, but he hadn't... Could _she _do that as well? She wanted to believe but some nagging feeling in the back of her mind told her otherwise.

* * *

**To quote Shakespeare, 'That's All, Folks'.**


	9. Day 19 of 80

**Review Responses. **

Guest) **Yeah, TK's... _Really_ gone off the deep end with that; he's more like the Spectre or Lucemon, than himself; he's not completely gone, but possibly too far. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense for TK to be that way; he's a severe case of Light Is Not Good, juxtaposed with Kari's Light is Good, Raya's Dark Is Not Evil, and the Demon Lords' Dark Is Evil. **

The Keeper of Worlds) **Ain't they just?**

**Sorry for the delay of this chapter; writing a map of the revised library took a while. Also, I have a new poll on my profile for anyone it may interest.**

* * *

To say that Veemon, Davis and Saial were surprised by the layout of the library was a massive understatement.

What had been a few scattered bookcases, replaced by almost-neurotically orderly arranged, several times more bookcases, was now replaced by a line of three meters tall and narrow light-brown bookcases, stretching from one end of the room to another, the backs turned to the group, with three separate openings, wide enough to accomodate even Paildramon, within which were several further bookcases.

Apart from the new layout of the bookshelves, the library remained the white endless void it was before. Behind them was the staircase upstairs as before, though its walls had been recolored night-black.

From what little Saial could determine of the new layout, the bookcases had five shelves each, with ten books each.

Flying up a bit, she could see the bookcases extending what seemed to be a quarter of a kilometer, forming a highly elaborate maze, with Raya standing a distance away, and Terriermon to the north of her, while something small and red that she decided to be Gigimon for whatever reason was to the west, both seemingly lost within, as well as Rika to their west, relaxing in the silence of the library. There had to be at least a _million_ books, literally, if not many, many more...

"H-How?! What is all this?!" Veemon and Davis exclaimed, shocked beyond belief, while the angel flew towards the demoness. How was it possible for Raya to completely rearrange the interior at a whim?!

...

...

...

Taking care to not hurt her wings on her descent, Saial touched down near Raya. The demoness wasn't altogether sure why the angel sported an expression of mild annoyance mixed with bemusement, though she mused that there was something ironic and nostalgic about it.

"What's up?" Raya cheerfully greeted the angel.

"Raya, I have been meaning to ask, how exactly _do_ you keep rearranging this library?" Saial sternly asked, as she was now absolutely certain that some violation of physics was taking place. Her physically moving the bookcases around didn't account for the sudden abundance of new ones, nor the additional books, or the seven floors in the two-story house, she noted.

"Oh, that's simple," Raya smiled. "I continually trigger a wave function collapse of the supremely mutable Dark Area fractal code this entire house is composed of."

"Oh, I see," Saial drawled. The revelation that the mansion was made of fractal code from the depths of the Dark Area paled somewhat in comparison with the sheer nonsensicality of her response. "That explains _everything_..." She shook her head in faint amusement. The demoness might as well have said magic, which would have explained the conundrum better. Didn't she realize that quantum physics didn't work that way?!

"But in any case, you have bigger concerns," Saial gave a predatory grin to the intrigued angel, and approached her slowly. "Look at you..." She chuckled. "A poor, defenseless angel... Whatever shall I do with you?" She asked rhetorically, placing a soft kiss on the angel's lips, savoring the taste for the scant seconds the kiss lasted.

"Alas, this is not the place," Saial smiled back.

...

...

...

Elsewhere in the library, Takato and Renamon stood, engrossed with reading, a few stacks of books beside them.

"What the-?" He exclaimed in confusion at the entry, arousing her interest slightly. "Guilmon... X7?!"

"X7?" Renamon questioned. "As in, that DigiXros, or DigiFuse, method, whichever it is called?"

"Yeah," Takato confirmed. Both Tamer and kitsune promptly imagined a fifty-meters tall version of Guilmon, covered in golden armor, and chuckled softly. "So, what do you make of everyone else here?"

Renamon hesitated to answer, pondering the question. "These Digidestined and their partners... I don't know how else to describe them, but just looking at them feels as though I'm facing a Sovereign in battle..."

Takato raised an eyebrow. While there was definitely something unusual about, he wouldn't go as far as ascribing Sovereign-level power to them, noting that using the Sovereign as a benchmark of power rather lost meaning when most people either greatly exceeded that level, or fell greatly short. "So they are as powerful as a Sovereign?"

"More like one-third of a Sovereign," Renamon clarified, mildly curious to see how they might fare against her and Rika. That hypothetical battle might well require Sakuyamon Azure Mode... It was then that she remembered that Henry didn't approve, and dismissed the notion.

"And Koji?" Takato continued.

"Much the same," Renamon disinterestedly answered. "However, it feels as though he is somehow restraining his power, or suppressing it..."

Takato wasn't altogether sure what exactly that implied about him. They'd seen him transform by willing it, so how could he be restraining his power? Was it a similar situation to the Tamers? Was his ultimate Digivolution somehow dangerous to him too? Or was there some other reason for it? Just then, Koji appeared from behind a bookcase, panting heavily for some reason.

"What year is it?!" He frantically asked the two, who stared blankly at him.

"Are you okay?" Takato tentatively asked, after a brief pause.

"Yes, I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay," Koji sharply told him, with a humorless chuckle. Takato and Renamon shared a weary look, agreeing that he'd gone crazy; Terriermon had acted much the same way almost fifty years ago... "Now what day is it?"

"We don't exactly have a calender, sorry," Renamon told him with mild amusement. "Why do you ask?"

"Okay, when was the last time you guys saw me outside of this terrible place?!" Koji exclaimed frantically.

"Y-Yesterday," Takato told him with mild surprise. Shouldn't he know that himself?

"How can that be?" Koji murmured, sounding as though he was on the verge of a breakdown. "I've been in here for at least a _week_! I don't know how to get out!"

"I think you've lost track of time," Takato apprehensively told him, unsure of how he might react, while Renamon leapt into the air, seeing nothing but bookcases, with Gigimon napping on one that was about twenty bookcases away. As that leap hadn't yielded results, once the kitsune landed beside the two, she turned around, and jumped again, spotting the door to their north-east, a few hundred meters away.

She touched down beside Takato and Koji, the latter of whom was more than slightly confused by what she was doing. "The exit should be to the north-east." She sternly told the two, though Takato was sufficiently familiar with the kitsune's facial expressions to recognize a smirk when he saw it. "Given your sense of direction, leaving should only take a day or two, if you began now. Have fun with that..."

"A day or two?!" Koji exclaimed indignantly. "You're insane! I'll never find my way out of here!"

"Insane?" Renamon echoed, her tone and expression suddenly nearly unreadable, even for Takato, as she pondered the term. "Yes, perhaps I _a__m _insane... Perhaps, this century of endless wandering _has_ whittled away at my sanity... Perhaps, we have _all _gone mad..."

...

...

...

In their bedroom, Davis, Kari and TK sat on one of the beds, their expressions stony, while Veemon, Gatomon and Patamon were elsewhere in the building, the air unbearably thick with tension and awkward silence, as the girl had just put an end to their long-standing love-triangle, by saying that she chose Davis over him.

"Why?" TK quietly asked, with a hint of anger to his voice, remaining immobile beside Kari. The girl tensed. She couldn't fault him for being, but for some reason, she just wished that he'd reacted with more than a glare.

"I'm sorry, TK, but... Don't you realize what's happened to you?!" Kari murmured. TK gave her a confused look. "You're short-tempered now, you're vindictive... I just... I can't be with someone like that..."

"Seriously!?" TK yelled at her, causing Kari to yelp back, while Davis glared at him. "Is that really your reason for choosing him, and not me?! That I treat that LadyDevimon as she should be treated?!"

"That's exactly it, TK!" Davis retorted. "When we set out into the Digital World on that dark day almost twenty years ago, did you ever imagine that you would become _this_!?" He shouted at the blonde, who clenched his fists. "You're barely yourself anymore, and you've come too far ever to be again!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" TK screamed, delivering a solid fist to Davis' right cheek. He turned to Kari, giving her a icy glare that she had never expected to see from him, or any human. "Twenty years... Twenty years I've been in love with you... Twenty years I've followed you guys everywhere without hesitation, and _this _is what I get in return?" He asked incredulously, before sauntering towards the door.

"I could make that same argument, you know!" Davis shouted after him, while TK continued walking.

"Where're you going?" Kari softly asked.

"Downstairs, to ask that LadyDevimon whether I can get another bedroom," TK replied, his back turned to them. "Preferably in the basement..."

Soon, he was gone from sight, leaving Kari and Davis alone. "He... Took that better than I expected..." Davis slowly spoke, unsure of what else to say, tentatively placing his hand on Kari's.

"Yeah..." She responded softly.

...

...

...

"_Perhaps,_" TK annoyedly thought to himself, taking a left turn down a short passage somewhere in the maze of the revised library, and passing by four books titled 'Agumon', 'Veemon', 'Guilmon' and 'Monodramon', respectively. "_This wasn't the most well-thought idea..._"

The difficulty in navigating the labyrinthine library wasn't the lack of options, he mused, as every few meters, a new passageway or two would invariably appear, generally allowing one to go left, right and forwards as they pleased.

What he really wanted to know, however, was why in the world that LadyDevimon had even done all this, _and_ neglected to put up directions. It was almost like she wanted people to get lost in here, for her own amusement.

... After some thought, TK decided that to be a quite plausible explanation.

* * *

**Maybe having so many characters is a bad idea. **

**On one hand, it adds diversity, and allows for all kinds of situations...**

**On the other, can I really keep track of that many? And what degree ****of characterization would be allotted to them for it? Saial/Raya are pretty much OCs, but that still leaves 13 (Takato/Guilmon/Rika/Renamon/Henry/Terriermon/Koji /TK/Patamon/Kari/Gatomon/Davis/Veemon), with the **

**Oh, bollocks...**

**Day 19 notes**

**1) Saial's exasperation with Raya's explanation is rather understandable; not only is it poor science, in simple terms, it amounts to Raya looking at it and away until it gives her what she wants...**

**2) Personally, I don't really consider TK's reaction to be overblown or unrealistic, all things considered. After all, twenty years of a love triangle, and he gets rejected in a single day? **


	10. Day 20 of 80

**Review Responses**

The Keeper of Worlds) **As always, thank you for your _stunning_ contributions.**

Guest 01) **Is that so? I knew of Magnamon, UlforceVeedramon, and Imperialdramon, but Goldramon is news to me. Still, MagnaAngemon and Cyberdramon can both reach that form, same as AeroVeedramon/Paildramon, so I don't expect it to count for anything story-wise. Well, considering what happened, he can'****t really be faulted for anger.**

Caymon7777) **Well, that's a considerably more low-brow answer than I expected. Kudos.**

**...**

**Look, I don't like to nag you guys about stuff, but is it really that unreasonable for the quite-large number of people (seriously, triple-digits) visiting either this story or my profile to leave an opinion on the poll? **

**Really. Three days running, and only two votes, both of whom I've asked? Is _that _really how much interest you guys have?**

**...**

**Well hell, I'm improving! Man, it feels like only yesterday I first wrote the strip poker story...**

**It's been a long ride... The weeks and months have just flown by, huh?**

**You guys already know what I'm gonna say, right?**

**To everyone who's bothered to read one of my stories, for whatever reason, whether you loved it, liked it, hated it, disliked it, or just didn't care for the experience, thank you. All of you. From the bottom of my heart.**

* * *

"Raya, wake up," Saial sternly told the demoness, who lied in her bed with her head firmly buried in a pillow, her hair messy and frazzled, her eyes sealed shut, a contented smile on her face, and a mild trickle of drool leaking from her half-open mouth. "Please, Saial... Just five more hours..." She grumbled, along with something the angel didn't quite hear.

"No, not five minutes," Saial wearily told her, before realizing that she had said, 'hours', rather than minutes. She knew the demoness' fondness for sleep and rest well, but that amount of time was simply absurd.

"Oh, Saial... I never knew you had it in you..." Raya suddenly whispered hotly. "Yes... Yes, Saial, that's it! More, Saial, more! Yes, YES! YEEESS! YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" She cried loudly, beads of sweat forming on her forehead, a cry of passion fading into a yelp as she awoke.

"On second though, please go back to sleep..." Saial sighed. Though it was already noon, it was far too early to deal with demoness' less-than-chaste proclivities.

"Saial, did I say something odd while I was asleep?" Raya casually inquired.

"More than you know, yet nothing that particularly surprised me," Saial answered with just-a-hint of amusement. "Speaking of which, did you just have a lewd dream about me?" She apprehensively asked, unsure of whether to consider the notion flattering, unsettling or some middle-ground between both.

"Yeah," Raya answered promptly, her voice devoid of any sense of embarrasment about it. Saial gave a mildly shocked, not having expected such a blunt reaction. "But can you blame me? The love of my life, an incredibly gorgeous Digimon, so close to me... You don't even know what you do to me, do you, Saial?"

"No, I-I was not aware of th-tha-" Saial stammered, flustered, her face more than slightly tinged red, freezing when the demoness began to approach her, leaving her own bed to walk towards her, and placed a kiss that was considerably more chaste than Saial had expected. "What are you doing?!" The angel sharply asked, after the demoness had broken away from her.

"I'm sorry, Saial, but, it's just..." The demoness paused, unsure of how to articulate what she was feeling. Identifying it wasn't difficult; it was lust, pure and simple. However, what unnerved her about was how the angel that was eyeing her curiously might respond to something like that, something she'd likely dismiss as lewd and decadent. "I need you..." Raya hesitantly admitted.

Saial tensed in shock and mild disgust. She couldn't say it was surprising, but was twenty days, or technically ten, really as long as the demoness could manage to keep her pruriency in check? "And what of your word that you would not force yourself on me?"

Raya simply gave a faintly amused half-smile. "Saial, we both know that I could never do that, even if I ever wished to..." Her eyes widened, when Saial suddenly pressed her lips against hers, though she decided to simply enjoy it, melting into the kiss, content and calm even as the angel's soft, slightly calloused hand caressed her exposed breast. "And here I thought that you didn't much condone unchaste behavior..." The demoness chuckled.

"Unchaste? Nonsense!" Saial dismissed. "What could possibly be even remotely unchaste about lovemaking with my beloved?"

Raya stifled a laugh at being addressed as 'beloved'. Though she was happy to hear it, it still sounded strange to be referred to as such. All in all, it really did seem as though they had, for the lack of a better term, swapped personalities, as Saial acted now much like she had used, composed in speech and slightly reserved in conduct, while her own, less-formal, speech-pattern had been used by Saial as a Gatomon. "What, indeed..." Raya gave a contented smile back, along with a furious, urgent kiss.

...

...

...

Meanwhile, in the third floor of the left section of the library, somewhere in the endless expanse of books, amongst memories long-forgotten and things yet to be, TK, Rika and Koji were having a quiet moment, discussing Davis and Kari's new relationship.

"I just don't understand..." TK murmured, his voice laced with mixed hurt, annoyance and confusion. "Why did she choose _Davis_ over me? What did they have together that I didn't have with her? Am I really such a bad person that I didn't deserve her?"

Koji tensed, grimacing, as what the blond was saying sounded almost exactly like what he himself had felt during his first year or so away from his group. Despite that, he couldn't think of anything to say to console TK about it. Perhaps, the navy-haired male mused, he hadn't gotten over Zoe as much as forgotten her...

"I'm sorry to hear that, really, I am," Rika told him with some strange mixture between sympathy and boredom in her voice. "I know what that feels like-" She told him, before TK abrubtly cut her off, glaring fiercely at her. Koji had to admit that her composure was admirable, as even though TK was glaring at her, she barely flinched or even reacted to it.

"Don't give me that crap!" TK hollered at a considerably unfazed Rika, who was rather more interested in how he had become immortal, as his group had been annoyingly secretive and vague about that detail. "You have _no _idea what rejection feels like! None!? You seriously expect me to believe that you've gotten any sort of meaningful rejection from _any_ of those five?!"

"I have," Rika coolly answered, surprising both of them. Koji mused that he'd somewhat gotten the impression that their group-dynamic, unlike his and TK's, were nearly as perfect as possible, with absolutely no trace of animosity to be found. Sure, he knew that their romantic relationships never really worked, but he'd thought the endings to be too slow to cause any real discomfort, rather than bad break-ups.

"And trust me, you'll get past it. Whether in a week, a month or a year, I don't know, but you will." She assured him. Both Koji and TK stared mildly surprised at her. While neither really knew the red-head all that well, she hadn't really seemed all that compassionate to anyone outside her group.

"Are you sure about that?" TK apprehensively inquired, earning him a mildly annoyed look from the red-head.

"Yes," Rika told him simply. "Now, is that everything?" She asked sardonically to the two. Koji was about to speak up, before Rika cut him off with a faintly annoyed look. "If you're going to whine about being immortal, take it to someone. I've gotten enough of that from everyone over the years."

Koji stared blankly at her, wondering how she'd known exactly what he was about to ask, while TK was more curious what there wasn't to 'whine' about, in being immortal.

"Enlighten me," TK sharply told her. "What, pray tell, is so great about living forever? About watching Digimon everywhere die simply slowly and invariably?"

"Isn't that why you started traveling with your group?" Rika questioned. "So that you would have _someone _with you, who wouldn't die and leave you behind anytime soon?"

Both TK and Koji stared speechless at her, before pondering her suggestion. The blond gave a soft smile, musing that eternity might be bearable that way, while Koji realized a further level of impact to his terrible, irrevocable, decision long years ago.

"It... It can't be that easy..." TK stammered. "It _can't_!"

"I didn't say it was," Rika answered. "That being said, company along this endless road would help greatly." When she finished speaking, their part of the library-maze entered a state of almost-unbearably thick silence.

Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, though was more likely to be a minute, Koji spoke. "Are you sure?" He asked softly. He didn't doubt that she believed it, and he didn't question the general veracity of the sentiment, but he just needed confirmation.

"I am," Rika replied, with an air of finality, before walking away from the two, taking a left turn into a nearby passage-way about six meters away from where the three had been.

...

...

...

"_That _was simply _divine,_ pun completely intended," Raya complimented the angel, a almost manic chuckle in her voice, while the pair lay nude, sweat-drenched and weary on a bed in their room, her arms around the angel, with a hand softly caressing the angel's pert breast. "You haven't lost your touch at all."

"You, however, have become much less thorough," Saial shot back, with a beaming grin on her face, and a slight groan to her tone. "I am still conscious, and able to think and speak coherently, after all.

"Oh, you're right," Raya laughed. "Give me a minute, and I'll fix that."

...

...

...

To the north of where TK and Koji were, stood Davis, Kari, Takato and Henry, Veemon, Gatomon, Gigimon and Terriermon, surrounded by seven woody-brown bookcases and a pristine-white floor and ceiling, each bookcases holding ten books each, the covers of those books being varyingly red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, indigo, black, white and every color in-between.

Some of the books held the names of various Digidestined that Veemon knew of, along with two almost arbitrary numbers between zero and one-thousand designating universe and timeline, such as one on the shelf close to him being titled 'Taiki Kudo, Universe 591, Timeline 611', surprising Henry slightly, as the books used to detail fifty versions of the person in question, as well as being spelled with letters entirely, and now they were reserved for a single version of them, with numbers being allotted, presumably to conserve space.

Other books simply described assorted varieties of Digimon, such as the Agumon-species, Ankylomon-species, Angewomon-species and Aegisdramon-species. Veemon wasn't altogether sure what a 'GeoGreymon' was, but the name sounded to be made-up, and an imitation of the Greymon-species.

The navy-haired male supposed that Raya's revised system held some advantage over the previous one, as one fiftieth of a book was nowhere near enough to do the stories of people justice.

"What did you want to talk about?" Henry offhandedly inquired to Kari. The brunette tensed slightly, and felt Davis' hand entwine with her own. She had appreciated Takato's advice on the matter, but this was something that required a second opinion.

"Well, spill it already," Terriermon cracked, as the brunette had hesitated a few seconds. Davis shot the mildly impatient rabbit an annoyed look for trying to rush his girlfriend. "We ain't got all day, y'know."

"... Two days ago, Takato mentioned that you, him and Rika had been together, all three of you," Kari murmured nervously, tightening her grip on Davis' hand. Davis and Henry raised an eye-brow, wondering why she was bringing it up.

"What of it?" Henry responded, mildly defensive. She sounded faintly anxious about it, which he decided to be one of the more subdued reactions to learning of it, as opposed to Masaru and Thomas, who had gone mildly ballistic a few months back.

"And, how did that work for you?" Kari continued, her voice audibly struggling to maintain its composure. Both Gigimon and Gatomon decided this to be interesting, potentially. "I mean, I know it ended, but while you were together, how did it work for you three?"

Henry, Takato, Terriermon and Gigimon shared confused looks, still unsure of why she was asking these questions. "It worked... Very well, I guess you could say, all of the times we tried."

"Then..." Kari paused slightly. "Do you guys think that maybe, me, Davis and TK could do that too?" She apprehensively asked, earning her an incredulous look from Davis, Veemon and Gatomon, while Terriermon shook his head in exasperation. Takato and Henry shared a brief look, while Gigimon simply looked around at everyone with a wide smile, and a glint in his eyes. "I just want them to be happy, and if that sort of relationship could make that happen, then..."

After she'd finished, Davis nervously looked around at the others, hoping that someone would say something, offer some counter-argument, no matter how weak, anything to break the silence.

"But would _you _be happy like that?" Gigimon softly interjected, remembering his own failed relationship with Renamon and Terriermon decades ago, and distinctly not interested in having Kari or anyone experience that as well.

"That's not the point!" Kari snapped at the small dinosaur, whose eyes widened at her exclamation, while everyone gave her a shocked look.

"It is, Kari," Gigimon and Takato answered softly.

"Honestly, Kari, I don't think that you three could do that," Henry told her quietly. "We've tried so many times, in so many variations, over the years... You're welcome to try, and if it works out, great, but I honestly doubt it will."

"Oh," Kari murmured. Soon, their remote corner of the labyrinthine library became quiet once more, the noise to be heard, some footsteps in the distance, and the sound of soft wingflaps above them. Suddenly, she felt Davis' hand tighten around hers, as he dragged her down the corridor to their left, while to her surprise, Veemon and Gatomon stayed behind with the other four.

After what felt like twenty or thirty minutes of walking, taking countless twists and turns while progressing what she assumed to be west-ward and still no visible edge in sight, Kari was starting to wonder just how big the demoness had made the place, and how they would find the exit again, as Davis seemed just to drag her in the general direction of 'away'.

Davis decided their current surroundings, a medium-large room measuring at about six meters in diameter, to be a good place to talk, and turned around, glaring at her. "Kari, when you said that that you wanted to be with both me and TK, were you serious?" He sternly asked.

"Yeah," Kari bashfully admitted. "I'm sorry, Davis, but I just wanted him to be happy too..."

"I know, Kari," Davis grumbled, shaking his head. "But, Kari, just how am I supposed to take something like that?" He questioned, his tone containing a note of hurt. "Should I assume that neither me or TK are good enough for you?"

Kari's expression immediately turned crestfallen, and she stammered frantically for a few seconds. "I'm so sorry, Davis, I didn't mean that at all, I-"

"I know," Davis interjected softly, his voice holding no real anger. "I'm just saying, it wasn't your brightest move yet."

* * *

**1/4 of the story already? Jeez, it went by real quick...**


	11. Day 21 of 80

Guest 01) **Thank you. That's rather the sad part here; to an extent, she's Wrong Genre Savvy about some variant of the law of Equivalent Exchange applying even for immortals, which is rather odd considering how it all started. By choosing Davis, she sacrificed any chance of a relationship with TK for the duration. Certainly, a threefold relationship with both would have been, and still is, possible, but that would come at its own price. Oddly, _Davis_ is rather more Genre Savvy about that.**

**Perhaps it _is _true what I was told so long ago... _I wish... That I could turn back time... Because now the gift is all mine..._**

The Keeper of Worlds) **So that's one Davis/Kari, and a Takuya/Zoe special. Can I interest you in anything else? No? Alright, that'll be 84 Kr, or 15.23 dollops of fairy dust...****  
**

Lord Pata) **You're welcome... OOC? Perhaps, but I like to think that I have a reason for him being like that.**** Perhaps that reason will be revealed as we go forward. In a sense, he has matured; had he not, he would've angrily left the house with Patamon for who-knows-where.**** Patamon/Gatomon? Sounds like fun, I'll look into it.**

* * *

In a remote corridor of the third floor library, Rika was wandering aimlessly, a bored expression on her face and a red, leatherbound book, titled 'The Singular Timeline of Earth-Zero: from Adventure to Revelation' in her left hand, seemingly lost within her own thoughts.

That the demoness had somehow managed to make each of the seven pairs of library-floors bigger than the entire building, she was quite honestly fine with, unusual though it was. However, she would rather like to know just how the place was illuminated, as there was no visible lighting anywhere in the room-

it couldn't be that the sleek-grayish-white surroundings somehow emitted light, as if so, it should be too bright to see anything, or at least bright in many places, which it wasn't, it just... wasn't pitch-dark in here, like it ought to be. She wasn't complaining about the fact, but she was just curious how it even worked.

Deciding it to be a heap of questions for a later time, Rika turned the book, before noticing in the her eye something more fascinating than this 'Earth-Zero', namely a light-blue covered book with 'Digimon Hyper Colosseum rules' inscribed in deep-black DigiCode, narrowed to fit.

Much to her annoyance, she had with time largely forgotten the rules of the game they used to play infrequently in their first year of traveling the Digital Worlds, and she suspected that they had likewise; after all, what need had they for those rules, when they could access greater power simply by Bio-Merging together, and then Jogressing a step further if necessary?

Nor could she much remember what that Kazu guy, or his sister, Jeri, or Kenta, or something, looked like... Glasses, blonde and a Leomon as a partner, if she remembered correctly. Deciding not to dwell on what might as well be ancient history, she took the purple book, and placed the leatherbound one on the shelf in its place.

Opening the book's cover almost seemed nostalgic to the centennial red-head, as right there on the very first page were the complete rules to that game she had played for the sake of victory so very long ago, the same game that Takato, and whatever their names were, had played for brief amusement. At least, she assumed them to be the complete ruleset.

Apart of the first page containing a summary of the game rules, the book contained almost nothing of interest, as the other page showcased images of four cards, Agumon, Veemon, Guilmon and Monodramon, while the subsequent four-five hundred pages showed more of the same, detailing every Digimon she'd ever seen and more in their card forms, along with countless more cards that she didn't immediately recognize though she surmised them to be relevant in some way.

Her musings on the game were interrupted by the sound of flapping wings from above. When she looked up, she saw a familiar orange guinea-pig, that descended beside her, looking up at her with a bright smile, and a twinkle in his large azure eyes.

"Hey, Patamon," The red-head told him with no real affectation to her tone, surprising him slightly, though it didn't show on his face. Appearance-wise, the red-head reminded him of Sora, only with soft-lavender eyes rather than Sora's reddish-brown orbs, and a darker shade of red hair. Their demeanors, however, were different, to say the least, as Rika seemed strangely restless. "I've been meaning to talk to you, about a few things."

Patamon blinked in surprise. He had little-to-no knowledge of these versions of Rika, Renamon, Takato, Gigimon, Henry and Terriermon, so he had no idea what they could have to talk about, unless... She suspected... "About what?" He innocently asked.

"A few things," Rika answered. "Firstly, how exactly did TK, Davis and Kari become immortal?" At the question, Patamon visibly winced. It wasn't something that they felt comfortable with discussing, even amongst themselves, even if they had understood what exactly took place back then...

"It's... complicated," Patamon said, with a dour grimace. Rika felt a twinge of regret at asking what she should've known to be a personal question. "It's fine for you to know, but please don't tell TK and the others that I told you..."

"Of course," Rika assured him. Patamon took a slow breath, musing that he hadn't made his peace with what happened back then...

"It happened two years after we managed to defeat a Digimon called Armageddemon," Patamon began. Rika nodded. So far, she knew the story, having watched that battle in several worlds and timelines, and learned of it in others. "We were in the Digital World, TK, Cody and Shakkoumon, Tai, Matt and Omnimon, Sora and Garudamon, Mimi and Lillymon, Izzy and MegaKabuterimon, Joe and Zudomon, Davis, Ken and Imperialdramon Fighter Mode, Kari, Yolei and Silphymon, trying to defeat the Demon Lords and their soldiers from destroying both worlds..." He paused, to collect himself.

"I know how that song goes, Patamon," Rika admonished him, as softly as she could. "Just skip to the ending..."

"Alright," Patamon responded, with a glare and a subtle growl. A pained look appeared in his eyes. "We eventually managed to defeat them... But it wasn't worth the price... Apart from the six of us, everyone was injured badly once it was over... And then, the Crests, symbols of their best personality traits, that had given up a few years earlier to release the Harmonious Ones, somehow reactivated within everyone, managing to transfer what little was left of the others into us..." Patamon finished. Rika didn't speak, simply giving an inscrutable look, standing as immobile as before.

"I see," Rika dismissively answered, annoying Patamon somewhat. Frankly, she doubted the story somewhat. He'd admitted the Crests to be gone, yet they had somehow done _that_? It seemed implausible, but _that _alone was no reason to blankly deny the possibility. "So you have several DigiCores within you?"

Patamon nodded. "I have Gomamon's, Tentomon's and Palmon's, just as TK has the remains of Joe's, Izzy's and Mimi's energy within him..."

"And from Kari walking around with that jacket, I take it that Kari has Tai's, Matt's and Sora's data, while Gatomon has Agumon's, Gabumon and Biyomon's data?" Rika theorized. Again, Patamon gave an affirmative nod.

"Yeah," Patamon muttered. "That jacket was everything that was left of Tai, once the battle was won, relatively speaking..."

Rika mused that it was understandable that TK had acted like that, considering all that. Though, there were a few things about that story that just bugged her; if Tai had died in that battle, how was his jacket still intact? There weren't any sign of injury or bloodstains to be found on that jacket, leaving only... Rika's train of thought stopped abrubtly at the gory realization.

...

...

...

Elsewhere in the building, in the bedroom occupied by the demoness and angel, Saial was resting, her wings free and unencumbered in the empty space beside the bed, the demoness draped around her waist, her head nuzzled in the angel's chest. Among the countless questions on her mind, the first one was what in the world she had gotten herself into now... Though she didn't really want to admit, a renewed relationship with the drowsy demoness around her was likely a mistake.

It wasn't that the angel considered love, of any sort, to be a mistake, quite the opposite, but she couldn't help but feel worry and apprehension about how this would affect her duties. How Raya could act so indifferent to those concerns completely eluded the angel.

"...It's true, isn't it, Saial?" The demoness asked, so lowly that the angel almost didn't hear her, surprising her a bit, as she'd believed the demoness to be asleep. "The price for getting what you want, is having what you once wanted..."

...

...

...

Elsewhere still, within Koji's bedroom on the fourth floor, he lay on the bed to the door's left side, his left hand beside his head which was resting on the pillow, his gaze fixed on the back of his hand, with no trace of joy or humor to be found in his expression, simply eyeing it curiously.

Strangely, from his forehead emanated a bright white light, shining through the fabric of his bandana. On the back of his hand was a marking, in the shape of a pair of circles containing the symbols of the Spirits of Light, that he mused might be mistaken for a tattoo, were it not for the fact that the marking shimmered with a pristine silvery glow.

He knew all too well what the sudden reappearance of the symbol signified, that Zoe and the others were nearby, or at least, within the same part of the Digital World as him. Wherever they were, his peace of mind was gone for the time being, until they had left, and he could make the mark fade once more, as he had no idea for anything to distinguish him; being a human in the Digital World did _that _enough for his liking.

Still, forcing the figure to subside was as easy as using the powers it gave him; a mere thought, and the outer circle dimmed, revealing his largely unblemished skin. To his annoyance, though not surprise, the inner circle resisted him somewhat, and the symbol vehemently refused to fade, which he knew all too well what meant.

Zoe and the others were coming here, approaching ever so slowly.

...

...

...

Deep within the left wing library's fifth floor, within a wider space than was , TK stood leaned against a bookshelf, with Patamon on his shoulder. Against the other bookshelf stood Kari, with a skittish expression and her left hand entwined with Davis'. To her left stood Davis himself, and at their sides were their partners.

"So what do you guys think?" TK quietly inquired. Kari knew what he was referring to. Seraphimon had asked them to come here, in order to assess the situation. Frankly, she wasn't sure whether three days, though a long time given the leisurely pace of things here, was enough time to determine that.

"Honestly, I think there's nothing to worry about," Davis grinned. "This place feels like a retirement home for world-weary immortals, more than anything." He laughed. To his surprise, Kari's hand tensed in his.

The girl beside him cringed inwardly, wondering if he realized that his description of the residents could just as easily be be said to describe them as well. Though, while Patamon and Gatomon noted it to arguably be a poor choice of phrasing, it was rather helpful in having the conversation broach their topic.

"Actually, me and Patamon've been meaning to talk to you guys," The feline digimon began, earning her curious looks from the other four, while Veemon seemed largely disinterested, more concerned with how big this floor actually was, as it seemed to go on and on forever. "Simply put, we want to stay here..." She announced with mild apprehension, much to the shock and disbelief of everyone else.

"You what?!" TK incredulously asked to the slightly nervous Patamon. Davis supposed that the idea... Really wasn't all that bad. After all, the Tamers, and Koji... They were immortal themselves, so if anyone would know how to resolve the issue of eternal and recurring boredom, it would be them.

And even if they did stay, the entire Digital World was still open for them to explore whenever they wished. Davis mused that immortality did have its occasional benefits.

"Why?!" TK incredulously demanded. He couldn't pretend that the idea of some peace and quiet here wasn't appealing, but they had responsibilities... His Trailmon of thought ended abrubtly when he realized that they owed no real allegiance to Seraphimon, Ophanimon and Cherubimon; after all, he and his group had offered their services to them, in order to relieve their boredom.

"How long, TK?" Patamon sternly asked. TK winced, knowing what his partner meant. Though, if it had really been so wearying for him, why hadn't he spoken up sooner? "Fifteen years? Twenty? How long have we been traveling through the Digital World?"

"Too long," Davis agreed. "Alright, anyone in favor of asking to stay?" He asked the five, raising his hand, as Patamon did, along with Kari and Gatamon. Veemon supposed that it wasn't a bad deal, while TK simply looked around at them.

"Well, it seems I've been outnumbered," TK noted, annoyance more than evident in his tone. Kari cringed inwardly, as this was the latest major disagreement TK'd had with the group during their few days here, and she couldn't help but worry about how much more he would take.

"Well, Kari, Gatomon, if you'll look upstairs, TK and Patamon can take downstairs, and me and Veemon'll search the other library," Davis suggested, ignoring TK's displeased glares at the group. The group nodded their assent to his suggestion, seeing no real reason to argue.

...

...

...

About an hour later, Kari and Gatomon were wandering the endless maze, searching for the angel, partly to request being permitted to stay and partly for the girl's own reason.

Suddenly, the two heard the soft voice of the demoness sing quietly to herself, from around a corridor almost ten meters ahead. "Intoxicated eyes, no longer that live that life... You should've learned by now, I'll burn this whole world down... I need some peace of mind, no fear of what's behind. You think you've won this fight, you've only lost your mind..."

Kari and Gatomon froze, while a bit further down the passage-way that the demoness was in, Rika, Terriermon, Takato, Henry, Renamon and Gigimon collectively tensed momentarily in mild discomfort and surprise, the books that the Tamers and the rabbit were reading completely forgotten, as most of the lyrics of whatever song she'd recited could be said to apply to them in some sense, whether metaphorically or concretely.

_"No longer live that life..."_ Henry mused to himself. Though they had readily agreed, he couldn't quite help but wonder whether it was morally right for him to ask them to stay here rather than travel from one fight to the next, when they could do more good out there? Could he really afford to be that selfish when they were still needed?

_"You think you've won this fight, you've only lost your mind..."_ Gatomon pondered. True, TK wasn't exactly the most patient person when it came to Digimon like that LadyDevimon, but the feline liked to think that he wasn't beyond salvation just yet.

_"You should've learned by now, I'll burn this whole world down..." _Guilmon and Takato cringed inwardly at how darkly fitting that was. A few years ago, they _had _done that, to another Digital World. The saurian and the Tamer both knew that the other four hadn't quite forgiven them for it, even now, and while they hadn't liked doing it, given the circumstances, it was a decision they could live with and would make again if they had to.

Suddenly, the group heard a series of footsteps, and from behind the right bookshelf appeared Kari and Gatomon. "Raya?" Kari asked as casually as she could. Raya gave a curious look, wondering what was on her mind. "Me and the others have been talking, and, well, we want to know if you would mind us staying here?"

"Well, personally, that would be fine, Kari," Raya smiled, chuckling at the mild oddity, as she distinctly remembered Kari being present a few days ago. Still, she couldn't fault the brunette for not remembering a small detail like that, as it had been a mildly hectic few days for her. "But you'll have to talk to these guys about that, since I bequeathed this house to them." Raya offhandedly said, turning to the Tamers, pointing her index finger at them.

"Bequeathed?" Kari quizzically asked. Raya supposed that she couldn't fault her for not having a world-class vocabulary either; given how long they had been traveling together, Digidestined and partners, Tamers and partner, and Legendary Warrior alike, it was something like an honest-to-Lucemon miracle that they even could form a sentence. At least, that was how it seemed to her.

"You were serious about that?" The other six flatly asked in unison. They knew that the demoness had her occasionally odd moments, but _this..._

"It means, 'given', Kari," The demoness answered, and the brunette nodded in understanding, still slightly confused and annoyed that the demoness had used a complex word like that when there was a simpler one available. "And yeah, I was. My avarice tend to make these decisions for me."

"Avarice?" Renamon asked quizzically. Kari blinked in confusion, unsure of what exactly that meant, while the others knew the meaning of the word, but couldn't quite correlate greed with either her giving them the building to stay in or creating large libraries like these. "I don't quite follow."

Raya gave a brief look at the kitsune. Renamon wasn't sure whether to interpret it as amusement, exasperation, disappointment, or something else. "Greed is considerably more all-encompassing than you might immediately realize." The demoness spoke, earning her a curious look from the anthropomorphic fox. "Desire for material possessions, desire for physical intimacy, desire to improve your own life, even..." Renamon and the others noted a distinct change in the shade of her red beady eyes, and her stance softened subtly. "Even desire for love, and for companionship, would qualify."

Renamon and the others shared skeptical looks, while Kari eyed her curiously. The kitsune mused that she wasn't entirely incorrect, at least.

* * *

**Day 21 notes**

**1) Sorry if the revelation of how they became immortal didn't live up to expectations. Maybe it _was _built up too far to deliver...**


	12. Day 22 of 80

**Review Responses.**

Guest) **... Given how large the multiverse is (nine-hundred to a thousand established universes within the story), there would logically _have_ to be a world that's busted to hell, same as there would have to be an Arcadian existence somewhere. But I digress. **

**That throw-away line wasn't really to establish that, but to drive home just how almost-psychotically attached to their group Takato and Guilmon would've had to become over that century.**

**It's almost poetic... **

**Guilmon - Growlmon - WarGrowlmon - (Bio-Merge with Takato) Gallantmon [Mega] - (Jogress Digivolution with Sakuyamon or MegaGargomon) Gallantmon Crimson Mode [Super Ultimate] - (Hybrid Digivolution with Sakuyamon & MegaGargomon) ? [?]**

**All that power, and they still unleashed the Great Evil Beast...**

The Keeper of Worlds) **'pockets money' No take-backs.**

**...**

**Okay, three-thousand words per chapter. So we're ahead by four-five thousand.**

**So sixty-two chapters left, times three-thousand... Two-hundred thousand+!**

* * *

After taking a left turn, and wandering ten meters down a corridor of the library, Veemon had to reluctantly admit that he was lost. He knew this for a fact, because at the blue-skinned reptile's feet was a certain, soundly asleep, red-skinned dinosaur, who he had already passed at least four or five times.

Sighing, Veemon decided that a bit of rest might do some good, and reached to the second shelve of the bookcase to his left, for a purple-covered book whose title was 'Veemon-Species', figuring that learning about himself in general might prove entertaining, and maybe even helpful.

He immediately regretted finishing the thought, as flipping to a random page that was denoted as page seventy-eight at the bottom corner, had yielded only a picture of Magnamon, with the other page listing every of its details, Level, Type, Attribute and various attacks, even subsequent forms...

Veemon paused, as he knew what the book read to be wrong. Apparently, Magnamon was his Ultimate form, yet could seemingly Digivolve into his real Ultimate-level, Paildramon, as well as Garudamon, Imperialdramon Fighter Mode, as well as, to his shock, MagnaGarurumon, Koji's Unified form.

He mused that it might well be nothing but fiction, but the book seemed certain of its facts. Suddenly, he froze, a chill running down his spine, as he could've sworn that it had said something else entirely but a second ago, but no matter how hard he tried to recall what that was, it was like that bit of trivia was lurking in some elusive corner of his mind...

Deciding it to have been unimportant, Veemon returned the book to its shelf, pushing the other books aside to make it fit snugly. Suddenly, he heard a faint noise from above. Looking up, he saw something, at least. He wasn't sure of the fact, but whatever it was seemed just to circle around in the air, about ten or twenty kilometers.

He didn't know how much room the demoness had somehow managed to conjure up, but that much seemed ridiculous and impractical; what was the point of having a white endless expanse to put a library in, if said library didn't extend upwards and downwards, Veemon wondered.

Nor would he mind if she would just give a straight answer about how exactly she had done it. Her pretending to not understand the question was really starting to annoy him.

All of a sudden, a thought occurred to him. If all those books, that recounted the stories and lives of Davis Motomiya of Universe whatever and Timeline whatever, were here, in the library, then it followed logically that Davis' lifestory was here as well, ready for him to find.

He smirked widely, now having something to entertain himself with. His smirk faded when he realized the enormity of the task he had set for himself.

Hundreds, possibly a thousand, different universes, with their own Davis Motomiya...

Just as many timelines, each with their own version of him...

It added up to a million, as near as Veemon could tell, and the bookcases held only fifty books a piece, of which he could reach only three shelves. That left him with only a sixty percent chance of finding the right one.

"Better odds than usual," He supposed, and went down the corridor, taking a left turn, determined to find it.

...

...

...

"NOOOOOOO!" Koji screamed at the top of his lungs in helpless frustration, having gotten lost for the umpteenth time in this seemingly endless maze. Sometime he _really _would have to talk to Raya about putting directions.

To his north-east, Kari stood leaned against the left end of a bookshelf, her study of a book detailing something called, 'Earth-Zero', a world where literally everyone got to Bio-Merge with their partners, the way Takato, Henry and Rika could, and literally every Digivolution stage, up to Mega, was available to everyone's partners, was interrupted by an abnormally high-pitched shriek.

To his west, Rika walked through the library, looking for some books that might help evoke faint memories of her long-forgotten time on earth. She froze abrubtly when she heard Koji's audibly pained screaming.

What was going on? Rika knew that with his power, no-one else living here could easily overpower him, not Gallantmon Crimson Mode or MegaGargomon Emerald Mode, not Imperialdramon Fighter Mode, not Seraphimon or Magnadramon, no-one could, or even would, elicit such a reaction from him. Regardless, she decided it best to find him immediately, and began to run towards where she had heard the scream come from.

To his east, Takato's and Henry's makeout session was abrubtly interrupted, both by a high-pitched scream, and by Davis and Veemon catching them in the act.

The other goggle-sporting male and his blue looked uncomfortably at the pair, who surprisingly looked to be considerably less than perturbed by their presence. "Hey, Davis," Takato casually greeted, surprising Davis with his tone, as it sounded to him as though people walking in on him and his boyfriend, although _(and almost)_ before any sort of... Indecent behavior, was somehow par for the course.

He acted nothing like the Takato that Veemon, the reptile noted, though in hindsight, it was impossible for anyone to remain the same after so long... The other male laughed nervously, apologizing quickly for interrupting, before taking Veemon and getting the Dark Area out of dodge, deciding that his questions could wait until later.

Behind him, both the brown-haired and navy-haired male looked quizzically after them, wondering what had just happened, but agreeing that Koji, no matter why he had screamed, was a greater priority, their D-Arcs flared with golden lights, and soon, the crimson knight flew towards the holder of the Spirits of Light.

"What's going on?!" Several voices asked Koji their tones universally worried. Looking all around him, he saw nearly all the other residents of the house. Rika, Renamon, Davis, Kari and TK.

Above him were a large dragon coated in black armor, another Seraphimon, much to Koji's surprise, a knight with golden eyes visible through his helmet, clad in crimson and silver, bulky and loose-fitting armor. Lastly, what appeared to be a mixture between Gatomon, a dragon, and an angel circled the other Digimon that was afloat, along with Saial and Raya.

Strangely to Koji, Takato, Gigimon, Henry and Terriermon were nowhere to be found. "I keep getting lost in here!"

Some stared blankly at him and other stared incredulously, though all were mildly annoyed that it had been something as inconsequential as _that. _Raya and Saial, however, wondered how it could ever lead to him losing sight of his common sense, to such an extent.

"Are you for real?" Terriermon and Gigimon skeptically asked him. "Why don't you just Spirit Evolve and get outta here?"

Koji responded with a sheepish chuckle. "Somehow I completely forgot about that."

...

...

...

About an hour later, Saial and Raya were in a distant area of the fourth floor library.

"Why do you want your own separate bedroom?" The demoness curiously inquired. If Saial wanted her own room, she'll make it for her, exactly as she would want it, but after the last two days, why did she feel a need to sleep separately? Had she offended or unsettled the angel somehow. "What did I do this time?"

The angel paused in her reading, wondering what the demoness meant. "You have not done anything." Saial answered softly. "I simply feel it best for some privacy between us."

"But, what about last night? I thought..." Raya whispered, her tone laced with what sounded to be disappointment and a note of hurt, pausing to a complete halt, her expression visibly pained.

"I know that, Raya," Saial responded softly, kicking herself inwardly. The last thing the angel wanted was to cause anyone, especially Raya, any sort of emotional distress. Loath as she was to admit, however, it was sometimes necessary, even if not appreciated; a world that had never faced hardship or struggle couldn't face such things. "And while I primarily told you what I did in the heat of the moment, I cannot claim that I did not mean every word."

The demoness gave a soft smile in response, slowly approaching the angel. Saial froze in mild surprise, though not discomfort, when the demoness softly wrapped her arms around her, nuzzling her head against the angel's neck. It wasn't uncomfortable, quite the opposite, but it had rather been unexpected. Regardless, the angel mused that she could definitely grow accustomed to the experience.

"I love you too, sweetie," The demoness whispered to her.

The angel tensed. It wasn't that she minded the nickname, but she would rather have preferred a more original one.

* * *

**And cut!**

**Sorry if the chapters keep getting shorter, I'm kinda running out of ideas, after twelve chapters.**


	13. Day 23 of 80

**Review Responses**

The Keeper of Worlds) **You're damn right! ****I FULLY INTEND TO!**

Guest 01) **That they certainly are... More 'Moralities' (mindsets)?! Okay, from the top.****  
**

**On one hand, we have the humanly recognizable Digidestined and Koji.**

**On another hand, we have the Tamers/partners, who are still somewhat recognizable as themselves, yet have become what to us is polyamorous, as they wouldn't consider anything about that sort of relationship to be odd, as it's what they do.**

**On a third hand, we have Raya, who is, or was intended to be, a kinda odd, generally amiable Digimon. To wit; Veemon's annoyance with her from last chapter is unfounded; she genuinely doesn't see anything weird about a room being bugger on the inside.**

**More people? Sure, okay.**

**The Digital World doesn't have human dates like those, and why would anyone, human or Digimon, care enough to celebrate, even if they remembered enough of the details to do so?**

Lord Pata) **Will wonders never cease, a review that isn't just mindless compliment, but actually constructive commentary on the content itself. Don't usually get that. Thank you, man.**

**...**

**Pairing Mode, huh? Well, this might just come in handy.**

**...**

**Also, hate to nag, but since I seem to lack other options, could I get some ####### votes on the ####### poll?! Much obliged.**

* * *

Raya opened the door, seeing a young blonde girl, about twelve, in a blue-and-white striped shirt, a lavender vest and skirt, and a lavender, navy-blue rimmed hat stand before her, along with a younger boy, about the age of eight, a brown-haired twelve year old boy with a large build wearing a predominantly blue jumpsuit, and a brown-haired, brown-eyed boy in a open, red, short-sleeved, jacket, yellow shirt, and greyish-brown pants, with a pair of goggles on his forehead.

Strangely, these versions of Zoe, JP, Tommy had the symbols of the Spirits of Wind, Thunder and Ice as faded markings on the back of their hands, and where visible, their foreheads as well, which were all outlined by pairs of concentric circles. As Koji hadn't demonstrated such oddities, she decided that these were a different set.

"Let me guess," Raya began with mild, knowing exasperation in her tone. "The four of you have been bonded with the Spirits of Wind, Thunder, Ice and Flame respectively, granting you immortality, and the ability to transform instantly into any of the forms you have available, simply by thinking about it?"

The four stared blankly at her, wondering how she could possibly know that. After a minute, Tommy nodded tentatively. "Really, this is just getting silly..." Raya sighed, shaking her head. Suddenly, something seemed to catch her interest, though what that something was, Takuya wasn't quite sure. His Trailmon of thought was abruptly interrupted, when he noticed the marking on Zoe's and Tommy's hands glow with their respective insignias, which they all knew what symbolized.

"Guys, you gotta take a look at this!" JP shouted from the left door, sounding strangely awestruck and bewildered. The other Legendary Warriors shared quizzical looks, wondering what he was so impressed. Once Zoe, Takuya and Tommy had walked over to the door, their eyes widened, understanding exactly what was so astounding about that room.

In lieu of any sort of architecture, it was a seemingly endless void, a soft white color. The only expection to that boundless expanse, was a line of bookshelves, with books of the same general size, but seemingly all possible colors. The only discrepancies in that line were three wide entrances.

Unlike Ophanimon's library that extended quite a distance upwards, this one seemed more arranged in the shape of a maze, as near as Zoe could tell.

How it was possible, Takuya didn't quite know, but the room seemed to have considerably more than enough storage space to contain the entire mansion.

"This house..." Tommy whispered in awe. "It's smaller on the outside!"

"That's... One way to put it," Takuya chuckled.

"That it is," Raya agreed with a smile, deciding to get the trivialities over with, as this would likely end the same way as with the previous group and Koji; with them invariably asking the Tamers for permission to stay indefinitely. "Would you like to stay the night?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind," Takuya grinned. "What about you guys?" JP nodded, while Zoe smiled, and Tommy grinned widely. With no dissent, the demoness considered the matter settled.

...

...

...

Elsewhere, on the seventh floor of the right-wing library, within one of the seemingly infinite corridors and passageways, Kari stood leaned against a bookshelf, while Rika was leaned up against an adjacent bookshelf, the redhead's attention fixed on a book titled, 'Jeri Katou, Universe 386, Timeline 493', with Renamon at her side, the kitsune's eyes closed.

Beside the brunette was the demoness, who was occupied with her own book, though Kari couldn't see what the title was.

"I _still _don't understand," Kari said after a brief pause, ending the silence, to Rika's faint irritation, as she'd largely considered the matter shelved after the other girl's talk with Davis. "How can you be in love with them, all of them?"

"That's just how it is, Kari," Rika boredly replied. Renamon wondered why she still seemed to have interest in the notion, when Davis hadn't reacted well to it.

The brunette sighed inwardly, as she would've appreciated for Rika to be more forthcoming about it. If there was any way that she could help make both Davis and TK, if the possibility existed, then she would do it, no matter what the odds were.

"Kari, are you _still _trying to see if you could somehow be with Davis and TK?" Raya interjected suddenly, startling the brunette. "I'm sorry to say it, I really am, but I just don't think it's a good idea."

"Why not?" Kari replied, with a faint whimper in her tone. "You guys can do it, so why can't we?"

"Kari, we've tried that countless times," Rika softly pointed out with something in her voice that Kari couldn't quite identify. She surmised it to be something akin to... Guilt, possibly, or perhaps longing, or nostalgia, or something entirely different, some extraordinary sensation that had been cultivated in her over her century of life.

Though, the brunette grimaced when she completed that Trailmon of thought. What did that imply for her? When she eventually lived that long, what would that make of her? Was she, and Davis, and TK, headed the same way? Drifting in and out of love, as time passed? Was something like _that _really to be her fate as well?

"What, exactly, do you make of the fact that it has yet to last more than a year or two?" Rika sardonically asked. Kari sighed, supposing that the red-head really would have to drive the point home, by now.

Just then, a blonde-haired girl, or person, whichever, walked into sight of the group from behind one of the bookshelves. Zoe blinked when she recognized Kari and Rika, neither of whom she literally had seen in months, except when Ophanimon gave them their latest assignments to whichever distant corner of the Digital World that there were Digimon causing trouble.

Kari wore the outfit that Zoe remembered so well, while Rika's attire was entirely new, and entirely unsurprising, even fitting for her style.

The redhead now wore a whitish-gray shirt, underneath a black leather-vest, along with black leather-jeans, and lastly, three belts, one made of black and worn properly, one of white leather, designed to resemble quadratic segment in rows of two, and a black leather one with metallic-silver studs, wrapped around her leg, arranged in pairs, forming immediately identifiable rectangles.

"Hey guys," Zoe cheerfully greeted. "Kari, Rika, it's been a while!"

"Yeah, it has," Kari chuckled, while Rika and Renamon entered their psychic link for a splitsecond, leaving after less than half a minute with the agreement that Zoe would learn about them not being the same versions of Rika Nonaka, Renamon, Takato Matsuki, Henry Wong, Guilmon and Terriermon soon enough.

"What were you talking about?" The blonde smiled.

...

...

...

Outside, Takuya and Koji stood a distance away from the front door, scowling at each-other.

"Stay away from Zoe," Takuya growled at him. In his mind, he was trying to decide which form to rip Koji to shreds if he didn't.

"Make me," He spat back, tensing in anticipation of a fight, the symbol flickering and fading on his hands.

"Ancient Warrior Evolution!" The two snarled in unison. On the ground beneath their feet appeared circles containing their respective symbols while waves of light-blue Fractal Code washed over them, and faded to reveal a startling pair of transformations.

Takuya had become a four-legged dragon, clad in golden, orange and crimson armor, sporting flamelike wings. His eyes were a striking ocean-blue, and his hair was wild and golden. His size now rivaled that of the nearby mansion.

Koji, however, had become a bipedal wolf-like creature, clad in white, gold-rimmed armor, wielding a large pair of golden blades in his hands.

Roaring wildly, they charged at each-other, with unyielding intent to kill.

Half an hour later, they had finally run out of energy and calmed down enough that Zoe could chew out them extensively for endangering everyone needlessly.

"What were you thinking?!" She angrily demanded of the collapsed pair.

...

...

...

Meanwhile, in their bedroom, Takato rested in one of the beds, nestled up against Rika, while Henry was snuggled behind him, his left arm draped around the other two, clinging to them almost possessively.

As their eyes were closed, their heads were buried in a pillow and they were lying immobile underneath the white sheets, they might well be mistaken for being asleep, which, Rika mused to herself, was far from the case...

"So," Rika spoke simply, without moving any part of her body in the slightest. "Are we _actually _going to do this again?"

"If Takato's fine with it, then..." Henry softly answered. He could practically feel the incredulous look that Rika was shooting him.

"For the last time, Henry, would you stop worrying about what we want?!" Rika sternly asked him, lying as still as before. "What do you think will happen if you don't? That we'll leave you?!"

"Yes," Henry quietly admitted. Their eyes opened wide with disbelief. Had he really just said that?! All of a sudden, he felt the other two stir, and get up. Opening his eyes, he saw them stare in shock at him.

"Henry, I'm sorry, but are you out of your goddamn mind!?" Rika angrily demanded to know. The male winced, though her reaction hadn't been unexpected. "All this time, and you seriously think we'll _ever _do that?!"

Henry sighed inwardly. Truthfully, he did doubt that they ever would, but he couldn't quite not worry that whether in ten years, or twenty, or fifty, or even a hundred, any of the four would find something that they would deem a better purpose than being with him. His Trailmon of thought was abrubtly when Takato suddenly kissed him passionately. He decided not to question it, and returned the kiss.

After several seconds, Rika watched him break away from the navy-haired male, and wrap his arms around Henry. "If there's something bothering you, you can tell us." Takato softly told him.

"I'm fine," Henry assured him. At least, he assumed that there was nothing at the moment that really bothered him. Both Raya and Saial were generally sweet and amiable company, while Koji, Davis, Kari, TK, Veemon, Gatomon and Patamon weren't unpleasant, and he had yet to form an opinion of this Takuya, Zoe, JP and Tommy. "And honestly, I'll like to be with just Takato, for the time being. Maybe in a year or two..."

"That's fine," Rika answered.

...

...

...

Kari was, for the lack of a better word, surprised, as a small white, adorable-looking in Kari's opinion, humanoid Digimon, with bright green eyes and large purple-tipped ears, floated in front of her, blocking her way down the passageway.

"Hello-" Kari began before she was cut off by the Digimon.

"Alright, tough girl!" He declared passionately, which sounded silly to her, considering how light his voice was. "You wanna pick on someone smaller than you?! Then you're gonna have to go with little me!"

"W-what?" Kari stammered. "I-I don't even know who you are!?"

"Nonsense!" He hollered. "You'll get pulverized, little dude! Let me take care of this! I'LL BE SLLLLAMMMING AND JAMMING THIS BAD SIS IN NO TIME FLAT, CHUMBUDDY!"

"What are you even saying?" Kari quizzically asked, finding no meaning in his threat.

"You think you can take out Digimon Tamers?! That ain't happening, palfella!" He roared at her. Kari wasn't sure if he actually believed himself to sound scary. "NOT WITH THE UNCONQUERABLE FORCE, OF CALUMON, AND ALL TEN OF HIS ADORABLE STUBBY FINGERS OUT THERE STARING YOU DOWN!"

Kari tried and failed to suppress a laugh at his brash statement. Unconquerable force?! He barely looked to be a Rookie-level. That was _hardly _an 'unconquerable force'. "So your name is Calumon?"

"That's right, partner!" He declared heatedly, clenching his hands, or paws, technically. Kari blinked at being referred to as his partner. Did he really believe that? Or was it simply more of his nonsense? "You're looking at the strongest In-Training-level in existence!"

"Of course I am," Kari chuckled. "And what sort of power or attacks do you have?"

"Yes, the time for talk is over, and you're gonna get the butt-busting of a lifetime, chumbuddy," He agreed with her assessment, even though Kari had said nothing of the sort. "You're about to feel the righteous rage of the rippling-est muscles in the Digital World!"

"Are you done soon?" Kari wearily asked.

"HOW DARE YOU!?" Calumon screamed in indignation. Suddenly, his body released an intense golden light. Kari yelped and closed her eyes for but a second, which was enough time for the radiance to fade.

Where Calumon had previously been, was now Lucemon. To Kari's utter shock, he suddenly flung off his toga, leaving him entirely nude, though with no visible genitalia, which she thought was a good thing.

"I will tamper those words!" Lucemon declared fiercely. "I'll be knocking! Your noggin! All over this place, chumbuddy!"

"Wh-why did you take your clothes?!" Kari exclaimed, her cheeks tinged bright-crimson.

Lucemon ignored her, continuing his ravings. "You don't have a prayer, palfella!" He declared, while striking a pose, flexing muscles on his arms that just... Weren't there. At all. "Lucemon! Is taking you! ALL! THE WAY! DOWN! INDUBITABLY!"

As he performed his gesticulations and orations with blazing fervor, Kari simply watched, unimpressed and confused, wondering where he'd even come from.

...

...

...

A floor up, in the exact same area of the library that Kari and Lucemon occupied were Raya and Saial. The demoness was leaned against the left bookshelf of the corridor, looking at the angel with a mildly displeased expression.

"Why, Saial?" She quietly asked. Angewomon mused that the question was understandable. "Why do you suddenly want some privacy, after what we did a few days ago? Do you think that... It's fun to toy around with my feelings?" She whispered to the angel, audibly shocked and hurt.

The angel inwardly kicked herself, musing that Raya's conclusion regarding the matter wasn't an unreasonable one. "I am sorry, Raya. I never meant you any sort of distress."

"I know that, Saial, I just... I have something I want to tell you..." Raya murmured, sighing, taking a moment to compose herself. "Look, sweetie, I know it's only been a few days, but I honestly think that spending eternity with you would be something I'll enjoy doing-I mean... I mean... Saial, I honestly have no idea where this was leading, but bottom line, I know that I've done a _lot_ of things that you don't approve of, and I'm beyond grateful that you've looked past those so far... I love you, Saial, and there will never be a point in my life where that doesn't true for me..."

"I knew that already, Raya, but thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for telling me regardless," Saial smiled, touched by the demoness' sentiment, and took her hands. "Raya, from the moment I hatched from my egg, over sixty years ago, I remember you having been there by my side. Since then, you've been my most cherished companion, whether as a Salamon, BlackGatomon or in your current form. Whenever I needed or wanted to see a familiar face, you were never far away. So yes, I love you as well, I truly mean that, which is why I see no reason to marry you. It would simply be a needless formality."

Raya smiled widely, tears starting to form in her eyes, as she wrapped her arms around the angel, burying her head in Saial's neck. Smiling contentedly, Saial wrapped her arms around the demoness.

* * *

**Well, with the Tamers (Rika/Takato/Henry), Digidestined (Davis/Kari/TK) and Legendary Warriors (Koji/Takuya/Zoe/Tommy/JP), Saial and Raya, the cast is assembled.**

**Still, if someone wants further additions to the ensemble, that can be arranged.**

**...**

**Jeri Katou (age: 150)**

**Leomon (Champion) - GrapLeomon (Ultimate) - BanchoLeomon (Mega) - (Jogress with Calumon) Apollomon**

**Calumon (In-Training) - Lucemon (Rookie) - Petermon (Champion) - Lucemon Chaos Mode (Ultimate) - (Jogress with Leomon) Apollomon**

**If anyone wants more people to enter the story, it's those three or nothing.**

**...**

**At this rate, I'll have to do a Beach chapter, or a Hot Springs chapter next time... I had hoped to make that around 30-40...**

**...**

**Notes detailing potential issues of controversy.**

**1) The attire that Zoe observes Rika to wear now is based off the one that the dA artist Riza23 has drawn. Used with permission, and all credit for it goes to him.**

**2) And with this chapter, Raya's and Saial's story is officially concluded. They'll still be around, but will interact with the other seventeen residents, rather than each-other.**


	14. Day 24 of 80

Guest) **What, exactly, did you think that Calumon would've Digivolved into, had he the chance?**

_**Name: Calumon / Lucemon**_

_**Level: In-Training / Rookie**_

_**Family: Virus Busters**_

_**Type: Holy Beast / Angel**_

_**Attribute: Unidentified / Vaccine**_

**Are you really going to tell me that there's no pattern here?**

The Keeper of Worlds) **Sorry, buddy. If I keep listening to you, eventually I'll have fifty-plus characters in the story, and nineteen is more than enough, thank you very much.**

* * *

Within the front entrance, the residents, Tamers, Digidestined, Legendary Warriors, angel and devil alike, of the mansion had been gathered by Zoe, who stood by the front door, sporting a nervous expression, being wholly unaccostumed to public speaking.

Rika wasn't sure why exactly the blonde had seen fit to gather them all here, and frankly, she was getting somewhat annoyed by Zoe just standing around, seemingly working up the nerve to talk to them.

"Well, um... Let's go do something!" Zoe blurted out, surprising everyone. "I'm bored with staying cooped up in here, and do nothing but read books. I mean, they're interesting, but let's go to the beach, or a hot spring, or something."

Saial mulled it over. In truth, she really would appreciate a change of scenery after spending over three weeks, 'cooped up' in the mansion, as the blonde had put it.

That being said, she couldn't say that she entirely thought it a good idea; that everyone else didn't feel unnerved by LadyDevimon, or in TK's case, didn't try to delete her, had been a relief to the angel.

However, she didn't delude herself; outside of here, there would be panicking and violence if she, a demonic Digimon with her record, showed up, and she couldn't entirely fault them for it, as they were arguably right to view her as a monster, even if the angel never would.

"Yeah, whatever," Rika muttered dismissively, to Zoe's mild annoyance. On some level, the red-head did appreciate the attempt to socialize, but as she barely knew this Zoe Orimoto, she also found it unnerving as the Dark Area. "If your group wanna go somewhere, just go, no need to ask us."

"Well, I was wondering whether you'll like to go too," Zoe grumbled. Honestly, it wasn't a surprising answer from the red-head, but she could've been more tactful.

"I like the idea," Raya chirped, and grabbed Saial's arm, the angel yelping as she was dragged outside. Takuya blinked, wondering whether that was normal behaviour for the two, but he shrugged it off, figuring that it was harmless.

Rika briefly asked the other five of her group what they made of the idea, and was met with nigh-universal agreement, save for Terriermon, who was less enthusiastic. The red-head, the brunette and the blonde agreed to give the rabbit a stern beating when they returned... Possibly (_likely_) before.

Nor did Davis, Koji, Kari, Veemon, Gatomon, Takuya, JP, Patamon, Saial or Tommy offer any objections to the idea.

All of a sudden, the demoness entered again, sheepishly asking where exactly Zoe had planned their little excursion to take place. "A little place I like to call, the Toucan Paradise!" Zoe grinned, remembering the place that they had traveled to countless times over the years.

Raya blinked at the name, as it was a little-known, fairly cozy beach-house restaurant-slash-inn, located in the western archipelago. The place definitely had a certain charm to it; it was well-known in the Dark Area that Lady Lilithmon and Lord Beelzemon enjoyed it, and there was even a rumor that Ophanimon did as well.

"Where, exactly, is it located?" Saial inquired. Zoe was about to respond that it was a remote island, in a distant archipelago, before realizing that, well, it was in a distant archipelago. "Far from here, I take it?"

"No problem there," Davis smirked. "By now we've got Imperialdramon, to take us there."

Takuya, Zoe, Koji, JP and Tommy stared confusedly at him, wondering what an 'Imperialdramon' was. Veemon gave a thumbs-up to the idea, as he really was getting stir-crazy in here.

Rika, however, disputed the idea, saying that her group would be taking Sakuyamon Azure Mode for their transportion, something that neither Renamon, Henry, Guilmon, Takato or Terriermon argued with.

"Well then, let's go!" Davis proclaimed, and went outside with Veemon. They were followed in short order by the remaining residents.

Once they were outside, Veemon wandered quite a distance away from the house. Zoe watched Davis hold up a D-Tector-like object, while Veemon screamed, 'WARP-DIGIVOLVE TO-!", at the top of his lungs, as his body shone with clear white light.

In less than an instant, a startling amount of changes occurred to the small reptile-Digimon.

Had anyone been able to follow, they would seen him nearly grow three times taller, while short, white leathery wings grew from his back. On his torso appeared a symbol that resembled a V and an incompletely formed X, the lower section of the cross separated from the upper portion, by his chalk-white skin. The horn on his nose had extended into a blade, and his musculature had grown dramatically.

This was followed up by soft-green armor appearing from a blaze of white light, covering his torso and groin sections, while on his thighs and forearms, bulky black plating appeared. Both of the armaments on his forearms held an extensible blade.

Lastly, he was engulfed completely by bluish-white light, and when it faded, the dragon-man Digimon had become a dragon, covered in black, gold-rimmed armor that seemed to be equal parts armament and weaponry. His wings had lengthened greatly, and gained the color and texture of blood.

Suddenly, the glow that suffused Veemon faded, and before Zoe and the others stood now a freakin' huge dragon that looked like it could even give AncientGreymon a run for his money.

Saial had to admit that the fabled Imperialdramon was every bit as astounding as she'd heard. Indeed, the stories barely did it justice.

Before anyone could react, Davis and his group were pulled, by something, towards the dragon, smirking all the while, as they were encased in a light-blue energy-sphere positioned behind the lasercannon on Imperialdramon's back.

Behind him, Takuya heard a shout of, 'Hybrid Bio-Merge Activate', from both Henry and Rika, followed by a blinding flash of light that faded quickly. When he turned around, he saw... Something that he might have confused for a Sakuyamon, were it not for the fact that the colors were almost completely different than what they should be.

The golden parts of her attire were now a vivid azure shade, which he supposed explained the name, while the soft-black suit she wore was now a grayish-white color. Strangely, she didn't have the same staff that all the Sakuyamon that Takuya had met did, though like them, she was a good deal taller than him, almost twice as tall, in fact. In her left hand was a transparent orb of blue energy.

Within the ball that was the core of the Bio-Merge, Rika and Henry floated back-to-back, each innately knowing the other to be there, yet never seeing eye-to-eye.

Outside, with a flick of Sakuyamon's hand, the azure orb suddenly flew forward by several meters, expanding to five meters in diameter. Sighing inwardly, as orb travel was occasionally a bumpy ride, Takato entered the sphere, Gigimon merrily skipping after him, humming to himself.

The flight proceeded generally smoothly, though Saial wished somewhat that she had flown herself, as Sakuyamon Azure Mode's sphere-supported travel method wasn't exactly designed for comfort, she learned, requesting briefly a short stop, and an opening in the sphere, which the merged Tamers and Digimon acceded to, watching in discomfort, as Raya, the Legendary Warriors, Henry and Terriermon did, as the angel... Revisited lunch, or whatever euphemisms one might care for.

In the beach-house, one of the Toucanmon was bored, to say the least, as there hadn't been any visitors all week, and the only that had been there, a Lilithmon, had left in short order, seemingly simply content with ten minutes of tanning on a lounger, before venturing into the nearby jungles, as though searching for something there.

Suddenly, someone or something blew gusts of sands into the restaurant area, and less than a minute later, an enormous black dragon-Digimon, along with a light-blue sphere, containing what looked somewhat like a Sakuyamon, as well as the Legendary Warriors.

"My benefactors, my friends, my saviours!" He jubilantly exclaimed at the group, overjoyed to see the five again. Takuya grinned when he saw the familiar Toucanmon, greeting him cheerfully. The gaudily-designed bird froze when he noticed the LadyDevimon in their assemblage. "Do you know that there's a LadyDevimon with you?"

Save for TK, the group collectively cringed inwardly, as there really had been no way to avoid the issue. Kari didn't want to believe that someone like her would cause anyone harm. TK was probably right that she was too idealistic about that, but she still didn't want to believe that.

"We are," Saial responded sternly. "And we can assure you that she does not intend you or this island any harm."

Toucanmon didn't react to her, his eyes widening almost enough to fill his entire as Sakuyamon Azure Mode reverted to Rika, Renamon, Henry and Terriermon, while Imperialdramon reverted back into Veemon.

There was no doubt, he thought. It_ had_ to be them, nothing else was possible. He could scarcely believe that they were real, but here they were, the legendary Digidestined, Tamers and the Legendary Warriors. When he finished the Trailmon of thought, he realized that here was also an Angewomon and a LadyDevimon, that showed no signs of animosity or hostility toward each-other.

But surely that myth couldn't be true as well?!

Those two couldn't be...

Couldn't be...

The Advent Children...

Could they?

"Well, this is sure an star-studded day for me," Toucanmon chuckled, giving a cordial bow before them. The group mused that recognition was actually a fairly pleasant feeling. "How can I be of service?"

...

...

...

Less than an hour later, the group was scattered around the beach. Near the beach-house, Raya, Saial and Rika were sprawled on loungers underneath an umbrella, wearing their usual attires, while everyone else were swimming around in the ocean, and Gigimon... Seemed to be taking a nap, as far as Raya could tell, even as he was swept away to sea, slowly sinking underneath the waves.

Though she was worried somewhat, she wasn't sure whether it posed any danger to him, nor whether it was her place to intervene. She was relieved when Gigimon wandered out of the sea, seemingly no worse for wear.

"So _this _is where you two were off to," A soft, female voice chuckled from behind them, sounding amused at the prospect. Everyone, angel, Tamers, Digidestined and Legendary Warriors, froze in shock, when they recognized the dress-clad, highly-endowed, statuesque raven-haired woman.

In preparation of a fight, the group assumed their most powerful forms. Waves of shimmering light-blue Fractal Code washed over Takuya, Zoe, Koji, JP and Tommy, and soon, Aldamon, JetSilphymon, Beowolfmon, Beetlemon and Daipenmon were where the humans had been, collectively charging to the beachside, where they joined everyone.

Rika, Renamon, Henry and Terriermon formed Sakuyamon Azure Mode, while Gallantmon stood at their side.

Behind the knight and shaman were Seraphimon, Magnadramon and Imperialdramon Fighter Mode, the sacred beast growling and hissing at the archdemoness.

Raya gave her lover and the others apologetic looks, even as she walked over to her mistress.

"I'm so sorry, Saial... It's my duty," She whispered, tears starting to form in her eyes. TK growled it wasn't surprising in the slightest; the demoness was beyond redemption, after all. "Please don't hate me for this..."

"I do not, and could never hate you, Raya," She whispered back, her voice devoid of all emotion. "What happens next will be my duty as well..."

"Oh, that's touching," Lilithmon chuckled. "However, I did not come here simply to end your lives."

Aldamon narrowed his eyes, glaring at the archdemoness. 'End your lives'? She seriously believed that she could defeat them all? When several of them were at a level of power that transcended the Mega-level?!

Raya blinked in surprise. Enormously powerful though lady Lilithmon was, the demoness honestly doubted her chances of winning against so many, when there was a Super Ultimate among them.

"Then, what do you want?!" TK hollered at her, while Davis and Kari assumed a safer position behind Imperialdramon, shouting at him to take cover.

Lilithmon promptly shot the blond a mocking look, wondering why he saw fit to ask such self-evident questions.

"Primarily, I would want the lot of you for my harem, and then use you all until you were all dead and dry, but business before pleasure, as they say," The archdemoness chuckled, much of the horror of the group.

Privately, though, Kari and JP couldn't help but find some strange appeal in the notion, sickening as it was. Davis wasn't sure why his girlfriend was suddenly blushing, but there was time to figure that out once this was over.

"Now, however, we have some business to attend to. Saial, was it?" Lilithmon casually asked the Angewomon, who tensed, wary of what the archdemoness might have in mind for her.

Takuya blinked, wondering why Lilithmon could possibly be interested in Saial, when she had claimed not to be here to kill them. With a flick of her wrist, Sakuyamon generated a light-blue barrier around Lilithmon, who barely seemed to react to it.

Inside the beach-house, Toucanmon watched the scene, wondering what was going on. On one side of the beach, a wide assortment of Digimon, of wildly varying shapes, sizes and colors, were assembled, seemingly to fight the Digimon on the other side of the beach, the Lilithmon who had arrived yesterday, and spent the night in a second floor of his beach-house that she had created herself.

It didn't really seem like a fair fight, but given the long history of heroic deeds that the humans and Digimon had, he decided that there was something about the situation that he was missing.

The angel reluctantly nodded in confirmation of that being her personal name of choice. Lilithmon smirked in amusement at the notion. "I take it that neither Ophanimon nor your precious Raya have informed you of the true circumstances of your egg?"

Saial and the group stared quizzically at her, wondering what she meant, while Raya's expression turned guilty. The demoness hadn't told Saial of that because she felt it that the knowledge wouldn't benefit her in any way.

The angel supposed that taking the archdemoness' bait was largely harmless; she'd never known her parents, but nor did she care to, and Lady Ophanimon was virtually a mother to her already. "And what sort of _world-shaking_ revelation do you have for me, Lilithmon?" She asked dryly, her tone making it apparent that she did not care much for the answer.

If the rebuttal displeased Lilithmon, there was no sign of it in her eyes or face, as she smirked even wider than before, exposing every single one of her teeth and a single fang in the upper left of her mouth. Sakuyamon stared quizzically at her, wondering if she realized the situation she was in, while Henry wondered if they did.

Suddenly, her wide azure eyes gained a soft, nostalgic tinge, as she folded her arms, flexing her skeletal claw a few times. "It was about sixty-five years ago now. I happened across your precious Lady Ophanimon in a desert, or she happened across me in a forest, I don't quite recall which at this point. Regardless, a battle ensued that took an odd turn, and I was left pregnant."

The humans present stared disbelievingly at her. Given the mechanics of Digimon reproduction, it was certainly a possibility that she could've wound up carrying a Digi-egg by Ophanimon after that, but was it really possible that a trace fragment of data could have been detached, accidentally rather than consciously, from the archangel, and entered the archdemoness?

"_You're_ her mom?!" Zoe, TK and various others exclaimed in shock.

Saial wasn't all that fazed by her claim. "Is that all? I was not aware of you having carried my Digi-egg, I will admit, but it does not matter."

"Indeed I am," Lilithmon spoke to the group, while Saial scoffed at the notion. "Nor did I expect it to, my daughter. I simply deemed it appropriate for you to know. Now, before I make my departure, one final gift for you."

Saial tensed, knowing that the word, 'gift', hardly held the same meaning for her, as it did for the Demon Lord. "And what might this, 'gift', of yours be?"

Lilithmon gave the LadyDevimon beside her a brief look, before responding. "LadyDevimon, she who is called, 'Raya', you are discharged from service. Do whatever you want."

Saial, Raya, and the groups stared incredulously at her, wondering whether she was serious. Raya knew that Lady Lilithmon was occasionally prone to following her sense of whimsy, rather than any real logic, but this was still hard to believe.

"Lady Lilithmon, why would you do such a thing?" Raya quizzically asked the captive woman, who gave a simple smile in return.

"Because you make my daughter happy," Lilithmon answered, much to the surprise of everyone else, even Raya, who hadn't believed that the archdemoness would ever act in a manner that was even close to being reminiscent of selflessness.

"And why would we believe that?" Saial questioned. "Why would I be affiliated with light and goodness, were I truly your daughter?"

"Well, I suppose that you would have no reason to," Lilithmon chuckled, unnerving everyone else, as it did _not _bode well. "Good question... Perhaps, fate, God and random happenstance?" She offered. Saial simply wished that she would eschew such cryptic nonsense, as it was... Wearying, to say the least.

Aldamon, Beowolfmon, JetSilphymon and Kari blinked, wondering what Lilithmon meant by, 'fate, God and random happenstance'. The first one implied that it had been planned that way, but planned by who? The second one implied that the Sovereign, or even Yggdrasil, had chosen that, but the last one hinted it to be mere coincidence.

Perhaps, the blonde mused, her mistake was that she pondered the matter in separate terms, when there wasn't any distinction.

Lilithmon watched the group with mild interest, wondering when they would drop this barrier. "However, you can seek out Ophanimon, if you seek confirmation on the matter. And if that is everything, I will be taking my leave now." She calmly informed, snapping three of the fingers of her human hand, unleashing a blinding light.

Instinctively, everyone covered their eyes by whatever means they could, while Seraphimon charged forward, determined not to let her escape. It quickly proved to be in vain, as once the burst of light faded, Lilithmon was nowhere to be found.

* * *

**Wow, I didn't see that coming, actually. Still, you have to admit that it was at least a decent plot-twist. **

**Yeah, I have too many concurrent stories, so, pick one; the Suzie Wong story part 2/5, or this one. Because I really haven't time or energy for both.**


End file.
